Wild World
by ForeverStuckInThe70s
Summary: A different twist on when Kelso proposed to Jackie during season 8. VERY Jackie/Hyde centric and an attempt to fix the mess that was season 8! In this Kelso never told anyone he was going to propose it comes as a shock to everyone! What will happen? How will they all react? What will it mean for Jackie/Hyde and there future? And where the hell did Kelso get the ring?
1. Now That I've Lost Everything To You

**Hey all! So as you can obviously tell I am a huge Jackie/Hyde fan and this is a story to try and fix the horrible mess that was Season 8. This is a different twist on the episode when Kelso proposed to Jackie in Season 8. In this version he never told everyone he was going to propose, he is doing it because he is thinking a lot about his future and wants to start acting more mature. What will everyone think about this? And most importantly what will Hyde think?**

**I hope you enjoy it! I will update as soon as I can if I get reviews to show that people are interested! :) Thanks! **

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Jackie was sitting on the arm of the Forman's couch trying to keep the fake smile plastered on her face. In the past few months, it seemed like this was all she did now. Sit and smile even though deep down she was literally dying inside. It wasn't helping matters that every time she looked to her left she had to witness Sam snuggling up to Steven in the corner.

Every time her eyes found her way towards the happy couple, she had to fight the urge to either throw up or kick the blonde skanks ass. She was so wrapped up in her pain and the fact that she was trying to hide it, she didn't' notice Kelso walking up beside her.

"Jackie are you even listening to me?" Kelso asked as he poked her in the arm.

She snapped out of her daze and turned towards him. "What?"

"I'm trying to talk to you about something really important but you aren't listening." Kelso said to her.

She sighed and turned her back to Steven and Sam and tried to focus all her attention on Kelso. "I'm sorry. What's up Michael?"

Kelso cleared his throat and looked around the room. "Can I have everyone's attention please?"

"Kelso…if you are about to do some sort of trick that involves blowing my house up…" Red said pointing an angry finger at him. "You better start running now."

"I only set off a bottle rocket one time in the basement Red!" Kelso yelled as he stomped his foot. "When are you going to forgive me for that?"

"When you give me the money to fix the burn on the ceiling!" Red yelled at him.

"God…" Kelso said rolling his eyes before turning back to Jackie. "I'm about to do something really important and I need everyone to be quiet."

"Michael what are you doing?" Jackie asked crossing her arms over her chest, she really had no patience for any of this right now. All she wanted to do was get as far away from Hyde and Sam as possible before she started to cry again.

Kelso took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay. So I've been doing a lot of thinking about my future…it seems like everyone is really happy and I want to feel that way too."

Jackie rolled her eyes and sighed. "Michael I'm not going to show you my boobs so just forget it."

Fez leaned behind Jackie. "Will you show them to me?"

Jackie could of sworn she saw Steven tense up behind her but she shook the thought out of her mind, figuring it was just wishful thinking. She shoved Fez and tried to turn her back on Kelso wanting to leave this horrible party. "No Fez. I will not show you my boobs either!"

"Will everyone shut up and just let me talk?" Kelso asked sighing as he stomped his foot impatiently.

Jackie licked her lips and turned back to him. "Okay fine…I'm sorry. What is it Michael?"

"I realized that the one time I was truly happy was when I was with you…" He whispered softly to her.

"Michael…what are you talking about? I was constantly yelling at you and you were constantly cheating on me." Jackie said resting her hands on her hips as she glared at him. "How could you say we were happy?"

"Well you kept me in line…" Kelso said shrugging. "And I mean the fact that I got to see your boobs did make me happy because you do have a great rack."

"Oh for the love of God…" Red said groaning. "Kelso just get on with it! If I hear you talk about Jackie's boobs one more time…I'm gonna kick your ass!"

"Fine!" Kelso yelled before turning towards Jackie again. "The point is…I need to start thinking about my future and I like Betsy so I'd like to have another kid…"

"Michael…" Jackie said rolling her eyes again. "I'm not having a kid with you. Yes our kid would be incredibly good looking…but-"

"Jackie Burkhart…" Kelso said as he knelt down in front of her, interrupting her before she could talk again. "Will you marry me?"

There was a momentary pause in the room before a universal, "WHAT?" echoed throughout the room.

"Jackie will you marry me?" Kelso asked again.

"Have you completely lost your mind?" Jackie asked as she stared down at him in disbelief.

"So is that a no?" Kelso asked as he held out a black velvet box towards her.

"God Michael stand up…" Jackie said shaking her head sadly, how could this possibly be happening to her?

All she had ever wanted was to get married. She had been waiting for a proposal forever and she definitely didn't picture it happening like this, or involving this man. Yes when she had dated Michael, she had thought about marriage but truth be told when she thought about the perfect proposal it never involved Michael Kelso down on one knee.

The only person she wanted to propose to her was Steven J. Hyde but he was already married to someone else. And if that wasn't humiliating enough, this was just the icing on the cake. She could just imagine Steven standing behind her snickering and coming up with a plethora of burns to throw at her when all this was said and done.

Kelso stood up and looked around the room and noticed that everyone was staring at him with wide eyes. When he looked towards the corner he noticed that Hyde looked more pissed than he had ever seen him and he couldn't help but feel confused. Didn't he have a wife of his own already?

"Jackie I thought you wanted to get married?" Kelso asked as he looked back at her, man was she confusing!. "I mean you were always planning our wedding when we were going out and you tried to force Hyde into it when you guys were together."

Jackie sighed and couldn't bear to turn and look at Steven who she was sure was glaring at her. "Michael I do want to get married someday…but I don't want to have to force anyone into it and I don't want to marry someone who I'm not in love with."

"You don't love me?" He asked with a sad puppy dogface.

She couldn't help but laugh. "Of course I love you Michael…but not enough to marry you." She said shaking her head, god did she feel tired. "You don't really want to marry me…you're just feeling lonely right?"

Kelso thought about it for a moment before he nodded. "Yeah I guess you're right. I am lonely…and I figured if I had to get married I should marry someone who was hot." He shrugged and smiled. "So naturally you were the first choice since you have such a great rack and all."

She laughed again and patted his shoulder, even through this humiliating moment Michael managed to make her smile. "Well…thank you Michael. As always you are sweet in your own ridiculously stupid way."

Kelso smiled that goofy smile of his and shrugged again. "I try…"

Jackie smiled and turned to Donna and Fez who were still standing behind her a little shell-shocked. "Wow…I can't believe you really just proposed to Jackie…" Donna said as she shook her head sadly. "You really are the King…"

"Well I thought it was romantic…" Fez said putting a hand over his heart as he tried to hold in his tears. "It was really beautiful…"

"Thanks Fez…" Kelso said putting his hands in his pockets. "I knew out of everyone you would appreciate the sentiment of it."

"Did you really buy a ring?" Donna asked looking back over at Kelso as Kitty and Red walked towards them.

Kelso shrugged. "I didn't so much buy it as I did steal it…"

Jackie rolled her eyes, how typical of Michael to steal a diamond ring! She couldn't even get a man to buy her a damn ring! "I can't even get a legitimate ring?"

"Well damn Jackie! You said no! You can't have an opinion about the ring." Kelso said glaring at her.

She chuckled and put her hand out. "Whatever…just show me the ring."

Kelso pulled the black box out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Fine! Damn I really dodged a bullet here…I forgot how freaking demanding you are!"

Jackie ripped the box out of his hands and glared at him. "Whatever…"

She flipped the box open and stared down at the large square diamond on the platinum band and her heart stopped. It was exactly the kind of ring she had always wanted; she had even pointed it out to Hyde one time when they were at the mall.

"Well stolen or not…it is really beautiful." Kitty said leaning towards the ring, impressed by the size of the diamond.

Jackie lifted it up out of the box and smiled as she remembered that day she had pointed the ring out to Hyde. "Yes it is."

"So what store did you steal it from?" Fez asked leaning towards the ring in Jackie's hand.

"I didn't steal it from a store." Kelso said as he plopped down on the couch and threw his feet up on the coffee table.

"Then where the hell did you get it from?" Donna asked as she peered down at the diamond.

"I found it in the basement in Hyde's room…" Kelso said reaching for some chips in the bowl on the coffee table.

It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop in the room and Jackie felt like she was going to be sick. "You are giving me Sam's engagement ring?" She said through gritted teeth, was this really happening?

Could things get any worse? Hyde had not only married that skank but he bought her Jackie's dream ring for Christ Sake! How could he hurt her anymore than this?

"I don't have an engagement ring…" Sam said turning to Hyde who looked like he was about ready to pass out. "Hyde is that ring for me?"

Hyde didn't hear her though…his eyes were focused only on Jackie and waiting to see what she would do next. When she caught his intense stare, she lifted the ring up closer to her eyes and stared at the ring. Then she noticed the writing on the inside of the ring and her heart began to speed up again as she inhaled sharply.

"Hold me closer Tiny Dancer…" Jackie whispered as she read the tiny words written inside.

"Tiny Dancer?" Donna asked scrunching up her nose as she turned towards Hyde, trying to figure this all out, "Wasn't that your song with Jackie?"

Everyone in the room held their breath as Jackie turned her back on her friends and walked towards Hyde. She was closer to him then she had been since Sam showed up, and no one was sure what was going to happen.

She was quiet for a moment, staring at him intensely as she held out the diamond in her hand. She was sure her heart was going to burst out of her chest at any moment. Did this mean what she thought it meant? Or did he really want her hurt her that badly that he would buy this ring, and write those words on it for his new wife.

"Steven…" She whispered almost inaudibly, unable to take her eyes off of him. "Who is this ring for and when did you get it?"

He was silent for a moment, he could feel Sam's eyes boring into the back of his head but he couldn't seem to look away from Jackie. He wasn't sure how to handle all of this. He wanted to kick Kelso's ass for putting him in this situation because she was never supposed to find out about the damn ring.

But right now he couldn't lie about whose ring it actually was…he knew deep down she knew and didn't need him to say it. But she wanted him to say it…she wanted him to admit that he had screwed up. Everyone knew it, and he had been trying to pretend other wise since Sam showed up at the door but there was no where to hide now.

This was it. He had to man up and tell her the truth but he was terrified of the consequences he would have to face.

"I bought it after you left for Chicago…" He whispered staring directly into her eyes.

She inhaled deeply, and didn't know if she wanted to laugh or cry. Part of her was jumping for joy because this proved that he did in fact love her. Except there was only one problem…he was already married to Sam.

Before she could even think about what she was doing, she lifted her hand and smacked him hard across the face. The only things that could be heard were the sound of flesh against flesh and both Kitty and Donna gasping in shock. But quite honestly…she didn't care.

"I hate you." She whispered to him through gritted teeth as the tears feel freely from her eyes.

The stinging in his cheek didn't hurt as much as seeing the pain in her eyes as she stared at him. He was so confused and upset he didn't even register the fact that she had dropped the ring at his feet and run out of the room.

Once he heard the door slam behind her, he seemed to jump and realize he was supposed to say something now. "Jackie-"

"I can't believe you bought a ring for that bitch and not me!" Sam yelled shoving him slightly.

The sound of Sam's voice made him want to scream at the top of his lungs. He felt sick to his stomach at this moment but he knew there were a few things he had to take care of before he found a way to end this sham of a marriage.

"Can it Sam…" Hyde pushed himself away from the wall and stomped towards Kelso. "Stand up you moron."

Kelso stood up with a nervous look on his face and Fez tried to step in between them. "Look Hyde man…" Fez started hoping to be able to keep his two friends from killing each other.

"Back off before I kick both of your asses!" Hyde screamed shoving Fez back making him stumble into Donna.

"Steven…I know you are upset-" Red tried to reason with him, even though he knew there was no use in trying.

"Why the hell were you snooping in my room?" Hyde said grabbing a fistful of Kelso's shirt.

"I was bored and looking for a pair of Sam's underwear…" Kelso said his face growing red, he had never seen Hyde look so pissed in his life. And Kelso had done a lot of stupid things to screw with him, but it was quite obvious nothing had ever been as bad as this.

"If I gave a damn about Sam I would be really pissed about that but we have bigger problems here." Hyde said shaking him.

"Hey!" Sam yelled walking closer to them. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Shut up!" Hyde yelled at her before turning back to Hyde. "I am going to kick your ass!"

Kelso struggled out of his grasp and ran behind the couch. "Hey…it's not my fault you were to chicken to tell Jackie how you really feel!"

Hyde tried to lunge at him but Kelso ran around the other side of the couch. "Only because I found you in a towel in that damn hotel room you jackass!"

"Steven calm down…" Kitty whispered nervously, feeling the tension rise in the room.

"Since the moment Jackie and I got together you were constantly trying to ruin us!" Hyde yelled at him as he ignored everyone's protests around him.

"Well she was my girlfriend first!" Kelso said hiding behind Red, knowing Hyde wouldn't attack him while he was in front of him.

"You didn't love her!" Hyde yelled as Donna and Fez held him back by his arms. "So why the hell did you care anyway?"

"So what you love her?" Sam asked, hand on hip ready to kill.

"Sam just stay out of this!" Hyde yelled not even looking at her. "Why did you have to go and steal that stupid ring Kelso? Everything would have been fine if Jackie never found out about it."

"So what you were just going to pretend like you never bought it? You were never going to tell her the truth?" Kelso asked, he may have been confused by this whole situation but that sounded pretty freaking stupid to him and he was the King of Stupid!

"That's none of your damn business!" Hyde screamed at him again as he shook off Donna and Fez's hands.

"Will all of you dumbasses shut up!" Red screamed as he stepped away from Kelso.

The room went quiet again and everyone turned towards him. "Red…" Kitty started.

"No Kitty…they can all figure out this crap later…but someone needs to go check on Jackie." Red said pointing towards the door angrily. "If none of you have noticed she has been a real mess these past few months because Kelso and Steven are both idiots. And now that she ran out of here after this little stunt…we need to make sure she's okay."

"Red's right…" Fez said letting go of Hyde's arm. "Donna we should really go find her…"

"But she'll try and pull my hair our or claw my eyes out…did you see how mad she was?" Donna asked nervously.

"She didn't look mad Donna…" Fez whispered. "She looked…she looked…"

"Heartbroken…" Kitty whispered, "It's the same look she's had on her face for months."

"You know you really aren't helping here Mrs. Forman…" Hyde whispered.

"Well Steven I'm sorry…but that poor girl has been miserable." Kitty said shaking her head.

"Man screw this…" Hyde said pushing past everyone making Kelso jump.

"Aren't you going to kick my ass?" Kelso asked him as he cowered behind Red again.

Hyde stopped where he was and glare at Kelso before shaking his head. "Whatever…"

Once he left the room, Sam huffed and turned to Donna. "Donna…what the hell does he see in that bitch anyway?"

Donna stared at Sam for a moment before answering. "Sam…look I know we've been hanging out and stuff lately but Jackie's my friend. You can't say shit like that about her okay?"

"Oh please…like you care." Sam said rolling her eyes. "You guys have done nothing but bitch about her since I've known you. Why would you want them to get back together anyway?"

Donna put her arms over her chest and shrugged. "I don't know…I mean if I really think about I guess they kind of made each other happy."

"Well you forgot one little thing…Hyde and I are married Donna. I'm not going anywhere." Sam said, hands on hips as she glared at her.

"You really want to stay married to a man who is clearly in love with someone else?" Donna asked finally seeing Sam for who she was. "How pathetic can you be?"

"Well she is a stripper honey…" Kitty whispered.

"Hey!" Sam screamed as she turned towards Mrs. Forman angrily.

"Well…you are…" Kitty said shrugging. "You know…this whole anniversary party has turned into quite a mess."

"Come on Kitty…I'll take you out to dinner. These dumbasses are giving me a headache." Red said walking towards the door.

"So what…you're just going to leave us to fix all this crap?" Kelso asked.

Red pointed at Kelso and sighed. "It's your fault all this crap happened in the first place. So you better get your ass out of my house and find that girl before I come back or I'm going to put my foot so far up your ass…you won't have a future to worry about anyway."

When the door shut behind them, Donna sighed. "Come on Fez, Kelso we should go find Jackie and make sure she's okay."

"Well what the hell am I supposed to do?" Sam asked as she watched them walk towards the door.

"I don't know…make yourself useful and pack up and move on out of here." Donna said as she slammed the door behind her.

_TBC_

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**So what did you think? I hope you liked it! If you want me to continue and see what happens next, send in a review! THANKS! **


	2. You Say You Wanna Start Something New

**Hey all! I'm glad to see some of you are interested in this story and so I hope you continue to follow it! Here is the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it and don't forget to Review to give me the motivation to write Chapter 3! Thanks!**

And in case anyone was wondering the title of the story comes from Cat Steven's "Wild World" and each chapter will be named after a line of the song. I always thought it was the perfect song for Jackie & Hyde after the break up in Season 7. 

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Jackie was parked on the side of the road about a mile from the Forman's house. She had been driving as fast as she could, but her tears were making it impossible to see the road in front of her. She heard the cars passing her, the lights shining in through the windows but she couldn't seem to react.

Her head and her heart were screaming and everything felt fuzzy. She was having a hard time remembering how to breath and she was afraid she was going to pass out soon. None of this made any sense…

How and why did Steven buy a diamond ring before she left for Chicago? He didn't want to marry her…right? He had said he didn't know if he could see a future with her which means he didn't want her. He told her to have a nice trip.

Yes he came to Chicago but she didn't think that meant he wanted to get married. It just meant that he wanted to get back together, or at least she thought it had. Yes he had seen Kelso in a towel but he had overreacted about that…he should have stayed to listen to what she had to say damn it!

But no…he had run away just like he always did and found the first skank that threw herself at him. It would have been one thing if he had slept with her, but he had actually married her! The one thing he said he couldn't do with her after being together for two years. Nothing made sense…

Here she was sitting on the side of the road, trying her best not to have a nervous break down. Kelso had just proposed to her, with a ring that he stole from Hyde who had supposedly intended on giving it to Jackie.

Seriously…how could this get any more screwed up?

She closed her eyes and rested her head against the steering wheel trying to find a way to catch her breath. She felt dizzy and almost didn't hear the knocking on the window, she turned her head slowly and squinted her eyes to try and make out who it was through the tears in her eyes.

Just as another car passed by, she was able to make out curly hair and her heart sank. Was he following her?

"Jackie get out of the car…" He said in a muffled voice through the car.

She waited a moment before she opened the car door and stepped out into the cool night air. She watched Hyde walk around the side of the car to get them away from the street. She shuffled her feet and cleared her throat before she walked towards him, unsure of what was going to happen next.

She went to lean against the side of her car and waited because she couldn't think of anything she could possibly say to him.

After what felt like hours, but was really just minutes Hyde walked back over to her. "Look Jackie…I'm sorry you had to find out about the ring like this…"

She lifted her head and tried to keep herself from smacking him again, could he really be that stupid? "You're sorry I found out about the ring like this? You're kidding right?"

"Jackie what-" He started trying to step towards him.

"I mean what the hell Hyde? You bought me a ring? But you…you marry…you marry-" She paused unable to form her name on her lips "you marry her…what the hell is your problem?"

"Well you were the one that was with Kelso in a hotel room and he was wearing nothing but a towel!" He spat at her, crossing his arms over his chest.

She rolled her eyes and started to laugh. "Why are you even here? This is pointless…"

"It's not like I want to be here having this conversation with you Princess." He said angrily.

She nodded and pushed herself off of her car. "Well then why are you here? It's not like we've talked that much in the last few months…you obviously don't give a crap about me so why start now?"

"I obviously don't give a crap about you?" He said as he uncrossed his arms and stepped closer to her. "I bought you a fucking engagement ring Jackie!"

"Yeah one that you never gave me!" She screamed walking up to him and shoved him back feeling the tears well up in her eyes again.

"Because you slept with Kelso!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.

Jackie stopped where she was and stared at him for a moment. "Steven…do you honestly think that I could do that to you? After everything we've been through? Even after you know how much I love you? Why would I go and sleep with Michael?"

Hyde stared down at her, God he wanted to pull her to him and kiss her passionately. He missed her so damn much but it was all too complicated. He was married…and she had slept with Kelso…hadn't she?

"Well…he was in a towel Jackie!" Hyde stuttered nervously.

She rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "Steven…when does Michael ever actually keep his clothes on?"

Hyde thought about what she had just asked him, and quite frankly she had made a good point. Kelso was always ripping his clothes off to do something stupid, especially when there were girls around. Kelso had always tried to sleep with Jackie, even when she was with Hyde. She had always turned him away, so what if she was telling him the truth? What if she hadn't slept with him?

Jackie sighed and leaned against the car again. "Steven I was upset…I was devastated about losing you and Michael was being stupid. He kept saying he wanted to cheer me up and I got annoyed so I sent him to go get ice…"

"And then he came back with a towel on?" Hyde asked slowly, starting to feel his heart pound in his chest.

Jackie nodded. "Yes. He must have taken his clothes off in the hallway by the ice machine and stolen a towel from the maids cart. I never slept with him Steven…and even if you hadn't of showed up I still wouldn't have slept with him!"

Hyde cleared his throat and made a move to step towards her. "Jackie I-"

"Don't. Just don't…" She said putting her hand up to stop him. "I shouldn't even be talking to you right now."

She started to walk around her car again to leave but Hyde followed her. "Jackie wait-"

"Steven!" She yelled in desperation as she stared back at him, "Go home to your wife."

He stopped in his tracks on the side of the road as cars whizzed by him, her words cut through him like a knife. She had just slipped into the car and was about to close the door when he called out to her again, "If I had asked you to marry me, would you have said yes?"

Looking over her shoulder, Jackie smiled sadly at him and sighed. "You already know the answer to that question Steven…"

With that she slammed the car door shut and put her key in the ignition. After she sped away, Hyde was left alone on the side of the road feeling more stupid than ever.

He had spent the last few months trying to convince himself that he had a reason to be mad at Jackie. She had to have slept with Kelso; because that was the way his life always turned out wasn't it? He always got screwed over.

Besides she was to good for him. Everyone knew that, how he had kept her around for two years was still a mystery to him.

Sighing, Hyde got back in his car and drove in the opposite direction as Jackie back towards the Formans house. When he pulled into the driveway, he got out of the car and marched around the back of the house to go into the basement. He was hoping that he would be alone, but he wasn't shocked to see Sam sitting on the couch looking more pissed then he had patience for at the moment.

"Well look who finally decided to come home." Sam said pushing herself off the couch as she put her hands on her hips.

Hyde sighed and slammed the basement door shut before turning to her. "Sam don't start with me-"

"Don't start with you? What the hell is your problem Hyde? I'm your wife damn it!" She screamed as she stepped towards him.

Hyde stared at her for a moment before he stepped all the way into the basement. "Sam…do you even remember our wedding? If you can even call it that…" He muttered under his breath.

She shrugged and crossed his arms over her chest, I remember bits and pieces of it, why?"

"I called you Jackie." He said shoving his hands in his pockets. "I think I blocked that part out for awhile…but I remember now."

"So what?" Sam said rolling her eyes. "We're still married. I'm a stripper Hyde people call me different names all the time. It honestly doesn't phase me…"

Hyde groaned and rubbed a tired hand over his face. "Sam can you honestly tell me that you've been happy in this marriage? All we do is fight and have sex and after that…I leave you alone for hours cuz quite honestly I hate myself I can't stand being around you."

Sam sighed and shrugged. "I mean I guess it's about the same as my other marriage."

Hyde cocked his head to the side and glared at her, "Other marriage?"

She licked her lips and threw her hands up in the air. "Technically I'm still married to my first husband Larry…"

He stood there for a moment, trying to soak in everything that she was saying. He knew that he should actually be angry, but God damn it this was the best news he had ever heard.

Suddenly, unable to handle all the events of the day Hyde started to laugh hysterically. "You're freaking married?" He said through his laughter.

Sam huffed and pushed her hip out, "Why is this so funny?"

"God my life is so fucked up…" He said shaking his head as he took his sunglasses off and threw them on the couch.

Sam sighed and stepped towards him, "So this is the part when you tell me I have to leave now isn't it?"

Hyde nodded his head slowly. "I don't love you Sam…"

Sam cracked a smile and nodded her head. "You love Jackie…"

He smiled sadly, knowing he had really screwed things up with Jackie. "Yeah. I do."

Sam nodded and put her hand on Hyde's arm. "That ring was really beautiful…"

"Jackie picked it out a couple of months ago…she told me it was exactly what she wanted." He whispered sadly.

"Think she will forgive you?" Sam whispered squinting up at him.

"Not so sure about that…" Hyde whispered. "Think I may have screwed up my last chance with her."

"You'll never know until you try…" Sam whispered before walking back to Hyde's room to pack up her things.

"I can try…but she might kill me before I get the chance to make it up to her." He said laughing sadly.

Sighing, Hyde walked upstairs to let Sam pack alone. He walked into the kitchen and saw Kitty sitting at the table drinking a cup of tea.

"Steven…you're home." She said smiling sadly at him.

Hyde walked over to the table and sat down. "Yeah uh…I found Jackie but she didn't really want to talk to me."

Kitty was taking a sip of her tea, and she raised an eyebrow at him. "Well can you really blame the poor girl?"

Sighing, he rested his arms on the table. "No. Not really."

Kitty reached into her pocket and took out the diamond ring that Jackie had thrown at him. "I think this belongs to you…" She whispered.

Hyde sighed and reached across the table to take the ring from her, he rolled it around between his fingers. "I suppose it does…"

'I know it's not really any of my business, but I have to admit that Jackie would have made a much better wife for you than Sam does." Kitty said with a smirk on her face.

Hyde chuckled. "You think?"

Kitty sighed and reached her hand out to him. "Oh Steven…I just know that you love her and it makes me so sad to see you like this. I mean…maybe you can fix it."

Hyde rubbed the back of his neck and looked from the ring back up to Kitty. "Mrs. Forman…if Red had married another woman and treated you like crap for months would you have forgiven him?"

She smiled sadly and shrugged. "I'm not sure…"

He nodded and leaned back in his chair. "The thing is…when Sam showed up I figured I didn't have a chance in hell at getting her back so I just gave up. Besides I figured she could find someone better."

Kitty sighed and reached for his hand again. "Steven that girl loves you more than you realize. She doesn't want anyone else…she's always wanted you."

"But I can't figure out why." Hyde said shaking his head. "And quite honestly…I don't think she wants me anymore."

"Steven would you like some advice?" Kitty asked leaning into him.

Hyde shrugged. "It couldn't hurt…"

"Well…if you really want to get Jackie back I think you are going to have to swallow you're pride a little." She said softly.

"You mean I'm going to get on my knees and beg for forgiveness?" He asked grimacing.

"Well that could be a start…" Kitty said shrugging. "But you're going to do need to do more than that. You're going to need to start being honest with her about how you really feel, you can't hide your emotions anymore."

"See…I don't think that's possible. I've been pretty much keeping everything bottled up for the last twenty years so I don't know how to actually talk about how I feel." He said flatly.

"Well if you want Jackie back…which I think you do." She said as she bowed her head and stared more intensely at him. "You're going to have to buck up and throw away that Zen of yours for awhile."

"But Mrs. Forman…" He said sadly.

"No buts' Steven…" She stood up and patted Hyde on the shoulder before leaning down to kiss the top of his head. "I miss that smile of yours…and I haven't seen it since Jackie was around."

Kitty kissed his head again before walking out of the kitchen leaving Hyde alone with his thoughts once again. Hyde sighed and pushed his chair in, leaning closer to the table he picked up the ring again.

He twirled it around in his hands a few times as he thought back to the day that Jackie pointed it out to him in the mall. It was one of the last happy days they had had together before everything fell apart…

* * *

**_Point Place Mall Spring 1979:_**

_Jackie and Hyde walked hand in hand through the mall as Fez patrolled the food court looking for chicks. Jackie was quiet beside him, which was quite unusual for her. Hyde squeezed her hand and she turned to look at him, smiling that beautiful smile up at him._

_"You okay?" He asked as they continued to walk together._

_She leaned up and kissed his cheek gently. "Yeah I'm fine. Why?"_

_Hyde pulled her up against his side and let go of her hand so he could wrap his arm around her shoulders. "You're just kind of quiet…"_

_Jackie bit her lip nervously and wrapped her arm around his waist. "I am?"_

_He chuckled and kissed the side of her head, "Usually I can't get you to shut up."_

_She smirked and held him closer. "So why are you questioning why I'm being quiet? Don't you usually get tired of hearing my voice?"_

_Hyde sensed pain in her voice as she spoke to him, and he felt bad that she thought he found her to be annoying. "Eh…it's not so bad."_

_She smiled sadly and rested her head against his shoulder. "Gee thanks…"_

_He rubbed her arm gently, "I'm kidding Jackie…I don't mind when you talk. Over the last few two years it's actually become quite comforting to be honest…"_

_Jackie moved her head to smile up at him. "Really?"_

_He looked down at her and smiled in the way he only ever did for her. "Really."_

_Jackie sighed happily and squeezed his waist before her eyes turned to focus on the store window in front of her. It was her favorite jewelry store, and her heart rate started to speed up when she saw the ring she had been looking at last week._

_God she wanted that ring…it was perfect! But it wasn't even about the ring…it was the sentiment behind it. She wanted the stability and comfort that came along with marriage and she wanted all of those things only with this man beside her. She really wasn't sure it was ever going to happen though…_

_"What are you looking at?" Hyde asked as his eyes followed her gaze._

_Jackie swallowed hard and removed her hand from his waist; she reached for his hand and tried to pull him in the opposite direction. "Nothing. Come on…we should go check on Fez."_

_Hyde saw her take one last look at the jewelry store; he pulled her back to him. "No seriously…what were you looking at?"_

_She looked at him nervously. "Steven really…nothing. Let's go."_

_He frowned and pulled her closer to him. "Why do you look so nervous?"_

_She cleared her throat and pushed a strand of hair out of her face. "I'm not nervous…"_

_Hyde looked back to where she had been staring before and he nodded, "What is there something in there you want?"_

_She shook her head and pulled at his hand again. "No. Let's go."_

_Hyde pulled her towards the jewelry store window and looked around the display as he cleared his throat and rubbed his hands together. "Let's see…is it a necklace? Diamond earrings maybe?"_

_"Steven it's not important really…" She said, unable to keep her eyes away from the sparking diamond ring in the middle of the all the jewelry._

_Hyde watched and followed her gaze until he saw the diamond ring in the black velvet box and he finally understood. "Oh…"_

_"I just…I was here with Mr. Forman helping him pick something out for Kitty and I saw it last week. It's just really pretty. It's not important though…come on let's go." She said tugging at his arm again._

_Hyde looked over at her for a moment and then back at the ring. "It is a really nice ring…"_

_Jackie stopped and looked back at it again and tried not to smile. "Yeah it is…"_

_Hyde looked back at her and could see how badly she wanted that ring, but he didn't think he could be ready to take that step yet. He watched her shake her head quickly and then pull at his arm again._

_"Come on…let's go get Fez before he makes a total fool of himself." She said turning away from the store window._

_Hyde let her pull him away but he couldn't shake the nagging feeling in his chest that she was slowly but surely slipping away from him._

* * *

Sighing again, Hyde snapped him self out of his daze when eh heard Sam walk up behind him. She had her bags in her hands before she placed them at her feet and smiled slightly at him.

"Last chance to tell me to stay…" She said grimacing slightly at him.

"Sam you know its better if you leave…besides we're obviously not even legally married." He said turning back to her.

Sam nodded slowly and then looked at the ring in his hands. "It really is a beautiful ring…"

He smiled sadly and nodded before slipping it into his pocket. "It's exactly what Jackie wanted."

"Well now she can be your first wife." Sam said shrugging.

Hyde chuckled and stood up. "I don't think that's going to happen…at least not anytime soon."

Sam stepped closer to him and tried to smile. "I don't see what it is you see in her…but I can tell you really love her."

"Yeah I do." He said as he shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down at the ground.  
"Well…good luck Hyde." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek gently.

Hyde didn't lift his head to watch her leave, he felt a weight lift off his shoulders when he heard her car pull out of the driveway. It felt like part of this terrible nightmare was finally ending and he was ready for this new step in his life. He had no idea what was going to happen next, he knew what he wanted but he had a feeling it wasn't going to be as easy as he might want it to be…

* * *

**Jackie and Fez's apartment:**

Jackie finally made it home, she pushed her apartment door open and sighed when she saw Kelso, Donna and Fez waiting for her. She wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep forever. Quite frankly, she had no strength to try and talk with her friends about this whole mess.

"We've been looking everywhere for you." Donna said standing up quickly.

Jackie took her coat off and hung it on the hook in the corner. "I went for a drive to clear my head…"

"Jackie I'm so sorry about all this…" Kelso said walking towards her. "I didn't think that that ring was meant for you from Hyde. Are you okay?"

Jackie sighed and sat down in the chair in the corner. "I don't know..."

Kelso sat down next to her on the couch and frowned. "Do you totally hate me?"

Jackie smiled and shook her head before taking his hand. "No Michael…I don't hate you. I still don't understand why you proposed or why you thought I would even consider marrying you but I don't hate you. If anything…even though this is all so screwed up I'm kind of relieved that I know what Hyde was thinking before this whole mess started."

"We were looking for Hyde too…" Donna whispered. "No one knows where he is."

Jackie sighed and sat back in her chair as she pulled her knees up to rest against her chest. "He found me…we talked a little."

Fez raised an eyebrow nervously. "You did? What did he say?"

She shrugged and rested her chin on her knees. "He just kept yelling at me about how he assumed Michael and I slept together in the hotel. But I think he finally realizes now that it never happened…"

"I think he might actually kick my ass this time around." Kelso said nervously fidgeting in his seat. "You didn't see his face after you left Jackie…he looked like he wanted to kill me."

Jackie shook her head. "Steven is hotheaded Michael but he won't kill you. It doesn't matter anyway…Steven is married. Whatever we had is over now."

"Even if he asked Sam to leave, you wouldn't go back with him?" Fez asked.

She felt the tears begin to burn in her eyes and she bit her lip. "I don't know if I can let him in again…not this time. I'm so tired of fighting for this relationship…and when Sam showed up I kind of just gave up completely on us. I gave up on everything really…"

Donna walked to the edge of the couch and sat on the arm, she put her hand on Jackie's shoulder. "Jackie…I haven't been a really good friend to you lately."

Jackie smiled sadly at her old friend, "You've been a little preoccupied with your new friend Sam…"

Donna sighed and felt the tears burning in her eyes. "I think it was easier to hang out with her because hanging out with you reminded me of the way that things used to be when Eric was still here. I know that's not really an excuse…"

Jackie nodded and put her feet back on the ground before she leaned her elbows on her knees. "Donna I get that you are hurting right now…but so am I. My whole life has been turned upside down…and it's not just about Steven. I lost the opportunity of a lifetime, I have no job, no opportunities, and I really feel like I have no friends or family to support me. I'm barely hanging on here…"

Donna reached for Jackie's hand and squeezed it gently. "I'm here now. And I promise to never turn my back on you again. Do you think you can forgive me?"

Jackie stared at her for a moment. "I don't know Donna…I appreciate the sentiment and all but I'm just really hurt. I need some time to really figure this all out, not just our friendship but my life in general."

"What do you mean Jackie?" Fez asked nervously, interrupting the girls conversation.

Jackie turned from Donna to Fez and smiled sadly. "I just mean…I think I need to just take some time away from everyone. I need to get my life together, figure out who I am before I can sort through all this crap."

"Time away from everyone?" Kelso asked sadly. "Jackie I don't like the sound of that…"

Jackie stood up and started to make her way towards her bedroom and sighed. "Well I'm sorry Michael but I think it's what I need right now. But I'm exhausted…I'm going to bed. I'll see you guys in the morning."

The three friends watched Jackie shut the door to her bedroom before turning back to one another. They were quiet for a few minutes before Fez finally spoke up first.

"She's leaving us isn't she?" He whispered.

"I think she might be…" Donna said in a chocked up voice as the tears welled up in her eyes.

"I don't want her to leave…" Kelso said as he wrapped his arms around himself suddenly feeling cold.

"Me either…" Fez whispered looking back at Jackie's bedroom door.

In silence, the three friends sat and wondered what Jackie's next move was going to be. Whatever it was, they were sure it would mean another break in their circle of friends and they weren't ready for it…

* * *

**So what did you guys think? Should I continue?  
**  
**Upnext-Jackie will reveal her plans, what will everyone think about them? What will Hyde think and how will he respond? Will he fight for our favorite girl or will he run like he always does? Review so that you can find out what happens next! **


	3. And It's Breaking My Heart You're Leavin

**Hey guys! Thanks so much for sending in the reviews! It gives me the motivation I need to continue writing! Here is the next chapter. I hope you like it! Send in a review and I'll make sure to update real soon! Thanks again! **

* * *

The next morning, Jackie woke up and walked out into the living room. Fez wasn't awake yet which was fine by her, she wasn't ready to face anyone yet. Last night, she had stayed up until late thinking about the situation she had found herself in. There was something in the way that Steven had tried to talk to her last night that made her think he was going to try and win her back…

Deep down in her heart she wanted nothing more than to fall into his arms and pretend that last few months hadn't happened yet. She knew she loved him, she would always love him. But she also knew that this time around she had to protect herself and the only way to do that would be to get as far away as possible from Point Place and Steven Hyde…

Changing quickly, Jackie grabbed her coat and keys and made her way out to her car in the parking lot. She drove the familiar roads of Point Place over to the one place she felt would be safe at least for a little while.

Red heard the jingle of the bells on the door of the muffler shop and looked up to see who was coming in so early. He smiled sadly when he saw the petite raven haired girl walking towards him at the front desk.

"Well good morning Jackie…" He said as she walked all the way up to him. "It's a little early for you to be up isn't it?"

She smiled and leaned against the desk, "I couldn't really sleep…"

He nodded slowly and sat down on the stool behind the desk. "There was a lot going on last night…I don't doubt that you had trouble sleeping."

She smiled sadly and rested her chin in her palm. "Why can't I get over him Mr. Forman?"

He frowned and shrugged his shoulders. "Because you love him…"

She sighed and stood up again as she smoothed her hands over the surface of the desk. "I wish I didn't…"

He shook his head and smiled at her. "We both know that's not true…"

She bit her lip and looked down at her hands, "Mr. Forman I can't stay here…"

Red sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I had a feeling you were going to say something like that…"

She smiled and looked back up at him. "It just hurts to much…and I know everyone keeps saying maybe I can just forgive him and we can get back together. But even if I tried it would be too complicated. I know I wouldn't really be able to let him all the way in and we would fight even more than we did before."

Red nodded. "I can understand that…but if it counts for anything I do know that he loves you."

She smiled sadly feeling the tears build behind her eyes, "But maybe sometimes love isn't enough…"

"Maybe not…" He whispered back before he walked around the desk. "I know there is no use in trying to talk you into staying…"

"No there really isn't…I've made up my mind. And I've been told I can be pretty stubborn." She said with a small smirk.

He chuckled. "Yes you can be…" He leaned against the desk and crossed his arms over his chest before turning to her with a serious expression. "Do you have a plan?"

"Kind of…" She said as she hopped up on the desk and crossed her legs, "My Dad set up an account for me before he went to jail…I've always been hesitant to use it but I think I'll take advantage of it now. It's enough money to get me on the road and figure out where I want to go from there…"

Red sighed and shook his head. "I don't like the idea of you out on the road by yourself…you could get hurt."

She laughed sadly and shrugged. "Red I got hurt plenty sitting in this small ass down…what more can they do to me out there in the big bad world?"

He grimaced. "A lot worse than breaking your heart…"

Her cheeks flushed and she had to look away, Red always had a way of breaking her down. He was the father she never had and she never wanted to disappoint him. She knew he was only concerned…and he had every right to be. Her plan had a lot of holes in it and she also knew there was a lot of dangerous things out there.

But at this moment in time, it didn't really feel like it mattered. Any pain that the world could throw at her had to hurt less than how she was feeling right now. She had to get away, had to have a change of pace to finally figure out what she was going to do with her life.

If she had any hope of either getting over Steven or finding it in her to forgive him, she had to leave this place.

As she looked back up at him, she let a small tear fall from the corner of her eye. "I know. But…I can't stay here anymore."

Red huffed and then walked over to one of the cars he had been working on, he leaned against it and looked back at her quickly. "Fine. There's no use in arguing with you about this because I know I won't win. But you need to make me a few promises Jackie…"

She smiled and hoped off the desk before walking towards him, hands on her hips. "And what would those promises be?"

He pointed his finger at her and put his other hand on his hip before saying seriously, "As soon as you settle in somewhere you call me and tell me where the hell you are."

She chuckled and nodded her head before crossing her arms over her chest. "Okay."

He didn't let her talk any further as he continued his rant, "And you make sure you live in a decent apartment…not some shit hole where the landlord will take you for all that your worth."

She rolled her eyes. "Red, when would I ever settle for some shit hole apartment? I'm Jackie freaking Burkhart for Christ sake…"

He ignored her comment and continued again, "You make sure you get the oil checked in your car regularly so you don't run it into the ground."

"I can check my own oil Red." She said with a smirk, "You taught me that years ago remember?"

"And you make sure that you don't stay away forever." He said crossing his arms over his chest as he started to get chocked up.

She smiled at him. "Aw…are you going to miss me Mr. Forman?"

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I wouldn't say I'm going to miss you…you're just the least annoying out of Eric's dumbass friends. You keep those idiots in line so I'm dreading the stupid things they will do without you around."

She laughed and nodded. "Yeah I don't think it will be pretty…"

Red sighed again and looked down at her. "Are you going to tell everyone you are leaving or are you going to make me do it?"

She scrunched up her nose and tried to smile sweetly. "I was kind of hoping you would do it…I know if I wait around to do face to face goodbyes they will all break me down and I'll stay. This is something I really need to do Red…I need to prove to myself that I can be okay on my own."

Red nodded again and put his hands on her shoulders. "You can be okay on your own Jackie…you're a smart girl. You don't give yourself enough credit…wherever you end up…you'll be great."

She smiled up at him with tears in her eyes. "Thank you Red. That means more to me than you could possibly know…"

He smiled at her and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I am going to miss you kid…"

Jackie smiled and pulled him in for a hug trying to hold in her tears, "I'm going to miss you too Red."

He cleared his throat and tried to remain strong as he pushed her away slightly, "Are you leaving now?"

"I did a little packing last night while Fez slept but I'm going to go finish now while he is at work." She said looking down at her feet, "I feel so guilty leaving like this but out of everyone Fez will be the one to make me stay…he's been the best out of everyone to me through all of this."

Red nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Yeah…they won't be too happy about you leaving…"

She rolled her eyes and tried to laugh, "Eh…they never really wanted me as a part of their group anyway. I'm sure they won't miss me that much…"

Red's face softened and he shook his head. "It may have started out that way Jackie but they really do care about you."

She bit her lip and felt the tears welling up in her eyes again. "Well I really care about them too…"

Red pursed his lips and nodded slowly. "Well…I guess you should get going then."

Jackie took a deep breath and nodded, "I guess so…"

"Good luck kid…" He said patting her shoulder affectionately as she began to walk away.

She was just behind him before she stopped and reached into her pocket before she turned to look at him again, "Um…do you think you could give this to Steven for me?"

She held out a white envelope that was unlabeled towards Red and didn't meet his eyes, but he just nodded and took it from her. "I'll make sure he gets it."

Jackie nodded her head quickly, took one last look at Red and then turned her back and slipped out of the shop. Red watched her leave with a mixture of pride and sadness; he knew she needed to do this but he also knew that it wasn't going to be easy for anyone to accept.

Least of all…Steven.

* * *

Later that night, the gang was all gathered at the Formans kitchen table while Kitty prepared dinner. No one was talking about the events of the night before, but it was weighing heavily on their minds. Red walked in through the slider door and his heart race began to quicken when he saw they were all there.

"Oh Red…you're home." Kitty said smiling at her husband before walking over to give him an affectionate kiss on the lips. "How was your day?"

He stared at her for a moment before looking around to see who was there, all the kids except for Hyde were around, "It was interesting…"

Just then Hyde stomped up the basement stairs and stopped when he saw Kelso sitting in the kitchen. Kelso sat up straighter and looked directly at Hyde, waiting for him to come running at him to kick his ass.

"Hyde man…I'm really sorry." Kelso said as he swallowed nervously.

Hyde didn't move, Kitty walked closer to him and tried to smile sweetly at him. "Now I know there is a lot of tension between everyone right now but lets try and remain civil alright?"

Hyde stepped closer to the kitchen table and just stared at Kelso. "Look Kelso…I'm not going to pretend we're okay when we aren't. The fact of the matter is there has been a lot of crap building up over the past few months…hell the past few years that we've just let slide. But right now…I can't do that anymore. I'm really pissed at you."

Kelso sighed and stood up, "I know that I caused a lot of problems with your relationship with Jackie and I'm sorry about that man. But…she was my girlfriend first and it did hurt to see you guys together."

Hyde nodded and crossed his arms over his chest, "Yeah I get that. I know I kinda broke the guy code when I started dating her…but I really care about her man. You never treated her right and once you saw that it was more than just a fling you should have backed off."

Kelso nodded. "I know…"

"And stealing that freaking ring out of my room…" He shook his head and sighed, "Kelso man that went way to far…and then to propose to her with it was just worse."

"I'm really sorry…" Kelso whispered sadly, not sure if his long time friend was going to be able to forgive him this time.

"I'm not sure sorry is going to cut it this time Kelso." Hyde said honestly, "I know I played a part in this too but I'm still really pissed at you."

Kelso sat down at the table again and looked defeated. "Hyde…I don't know how to fix all this."

Hyde shrugged and shook his head. "Yeah I don't either…"

The room was quiet for a moment before Red cleared his throat and stepped further into the room. "I guess now would be the time to tell you all that Jackie came to see me at work this morning."

Something in the way that Red spoke made the hairs on the back of Hyde's neck stand up, "She did?" He whispered anxiously.

Red nodded and put his hands on the counter. "She's been pretty torn apart these last few months and I think last night was the last straw for her."

"What does that mean?" Donna asked in a quivering voice.

"It means…" Red continued as his voice cracked, giving out on him slightly, "That Jackie packed up and moved out of Point Place."

The room fell silent again until Hyde spoke up almost angrily, "What do you mean she packed up and moved out of Point Place? Where the hell did she go?"

Red shrugged his shoulders. "She's not sure yet. She said her Dad left her a decent amount of money and she needed a change of pace. She packed up her car this afternoon while Fez was at work and left…she told me to tell you all goodbye. She said she couldn't do it in person because it would be to hard for her to leave."

Hyde's pulse started to beat faster and he felt like he was going to explode with emotions. "So she just fucking took off?"

"Steven I know this may be hard for you to accept but this is something she had to do." Red said stepping closer to Hyde.

"This is so like her." Hyde said through gritted teeth, "Just take off without even taking anyone else's feelings into consideration. It's always about her!"

Red's face hardened and he ignored the pained expressions around him before he stepped closer to Hyde again. "Steven you listen to me…I know you love her and this has to be hard. But you pushed her away. She was always doing things to make sure that you were happy first and look where it got her. I'm not saying you are a bad guy…because you aren't. But you've made some mistakes and now Jackie needs to figure out who she is before she can move on with her life."

"She obviously knows how I feel about her though." Hyde said as he whipped his sunglasses off his face. "She saw that I bought a ring! Doesn't that count for anything?"

"At this point…not really." Red whispered to him, "You're still married to Sam and Jackie doesn't trust you."

"I found out last night that Sam and I aren't even legally married. She left…" Hyde whispered angrily.

Red sighed and then shrugged. "It still doesn't help make Jackie's pain really go away Steven and I think you know that."

Hyde took a deep breath before pushing past Red and the rest of his friends. "Whatever. I'm out of here."

Red waited until Hyde reached the slider door and had whipped it open before he called out to him, "What are you going to do Steven? Run off and get drunk and then marry a stripper?"

Hyde stopped dead in his tracks, he paused for a moment before turning to glare at the man he considered to be his father. He wanted to yell and scream at him but he couldn't think of something to say. He had no argument to throw at him because he knew that Red was right…he was being selfish.

It was his own damn fault that Jackie was gone. But damn it all to hell he wanted her back more than anything and now he saw no way of that ever happening.

"Isn't that how you got in this situation in the first place?" Red asked after a few moments of silence, then he walked up to him at the door and held out the envelope Jackie had left with him. "She left you this…"

Hyde's eyes traveled down to the small envelope in Red's hands and his mind began to wander. She had left him a note…just like when she left for Chicago. But he had a feeling this one was going to be different…this one was going to hold some message about the complete end to their relationship.

He wasn't sure he wanted to read what it said and yet he couldn't resist seeing the loopy letters that made up her perfect handwriting on the paper. It was the one thing he had that linked him to her and their almost future and he couldn't let that slip through his fingers too.

He reached forward and snatched the envelope from Red before turning and running out of the kitchen again. He wasn't going to leave town again, but he knew that he couldn't open the letter in front of everyone else.

This was something he had to do on his own.

He had to once and for all face up to the pain that he had caused his doll face all on his own…

Once he had left the kitchen, the rest of the gang sat in silence for a few more minutes trying to contemplate everything that had happened in the last few minutes. Donna was crying quietly beside Fez who looked like he was about to cry ay any moment. Kelso looked devastated, Kitty looked nervous and Red just stood and watched Hyde leave.

Fez was the first to speak up, "Is she ever going to come back?"

Red snapped out of his daze and looked back towards Fez at the table. "I don't know…she says she will. But you never know…she may start a great life wherever she ends up and not want to come back."

"She'll find people who are better friends to her." Donna whispered through her tears.

"She's never coming back…" Kelso said as he leaned against the kitchen table.

"That means we may have just lost Steven too…" Kitty whispered a she walked closer to Red and reached out for him.

Red sighed and pulled her up against him. "Or maybe he's finally going to start to grow up…"

The five remaining people sat in the kitchen for a long while trying to wrap their minds around everything that had happened today. It seemed that no matter what happened next, the pain that they were all feeling wasn't going to be going away anytime soon.

* * *

**_Somewhere on the highway heading out West…_**

Jackie's car was all packed up and she had been on the road for three hours already. As soon as she passed the sign that said leaving Point Place, the tears had started. She wasn't sure if she was more sad or scared, but as the miles between herself and Point Place grew her tears lessened.

She had decided to head West on a whim and figured she would figure it all out as she went. She was tapping her fingers on the steering wheel to the rhythm of the music on the radio. She took a deep breath and told herself that this was the right choice, that she was finally doing something with her life.

But her mind kept wandering back to a time when she was happy…it felt like so long ago but she would give anything to have it back now.

* * *

_**Point Place, Fall 1978  
Steven Hyde's Bedroom in the Formans basement**_

_Hyde was lying on his cot, his arm resting behind his head with his eyes closed tightly. Jackie was sitting up at the end of his bed as she watched him hum to the song on the radio and she couldn't help but smile._

_Putting down her homework, she crawled up towards him and nestled herself in his arms. Instinctively, he put his other arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head._

_"Whatcha doin doll?" He mumbled into her hair._

_She smiled and breathed in the scent that was Steven Hyde before answering, "Just watching you…"_

_He smirked against the top of her head. "You must be bored. I can think of something to do that can take care of that problem."_

_She giggled as he rolled over on top of her and she placed her hands on either side of his face. "Steven…"_

_He smiled down at her before leaving a gentle kiss on her lips. "What, I'm serious. You're never bored when we do it…" He paused for a moment before quickly asking. "Right?"_

_She laughed again and shook her head. "No of course not. But I'm not bored…"_

_He scrunched up his face and stared down at her. "Then why the hell were you just watching me?"_

_She shrugged innocently and played with the collar of his shirt, "I don't know…I like watching you sometimes…it calms me just to see you content like this."_

_Hyde thought about what she had said for a few moments, it didn't make much sense but he knew better than to question her about such things. "Okay?"_

_She let her eyes look back up at him for a moment and she smiled at his confusion before placing a delicate kiss on his lips. "Steven…I know you don't like to say it a lot…but I want you to know that I really love you."_

_He was quiet, just as he always was when she let those words roll off her tongue. He knew he loved her back, and his heart was screaming at him to say them back but his head was screaming louder telling him to shut the hell up. And as always…his head won the battle._

_She couldn't help but feel the pang of sadness in her heart, she always hoped he would say it back but she wasn't surprised that he didn't. "I guess…I just wanted you to know that. I wanted you to know that I'm really happy with you Steven…really happy."_

_He was quiet for another moment before he cleared his throat and mumbled something that she couldn't quite make out. His eyes darted away from hers and her heart rate started to quicken._

_"What did you say?" She whispered softly._

_"I uh…I said…" He stuttered out before turning to look back at her quickly, "I said I'm really happy with you too Jackie."_

_Even though it wasn't those three magic words she so longed to hear, it was close enough for her. Her face lit up and she wrapped her arms around his neck before she pulled him down towards her again, crushing her lips against his._

_She felt him smile against her lips as his hand rested on her hip as he kissed her back. She let him flip them over so she was on top and she smiled beautifully down at him as she traced the outline of his lips._

_"I believe you were saying something before…about doing it?" She said with a raised eyebrow._

_Hyde chuckled and cupped her face in his hands. "Yeah…what about it?"_

_She smirked down at him, "Well I'm suddenly very bored…and in need of something to do to occupy my time." She said teasingly._

_He smiled at her and pulled her in for another mind blowing kiss. "I think I can help you with that…"_

_"I figured you could…" She whispered huskily before capturing his lips with hers again and letting him roll her over once again._

_He hadn't said the words she had hoped for, but he was letting her in little by little. And right now, all she cared about was staying in this mans arms for as long as possible._

* * *

Present Day, Jackie's car

She wiped a few more tears away from her eyes before pulling off the highway towards a hotel. She was glad that she hadn't stuck around to say goodbye because she knew the moment her eyes met Steven's she would have melted. There was no doubt in her mind that he would have found a way to make her stay and she couldn't do that.

If he truly wanted to be with her, he had to fight for her this time around. She was done fighting…now she just wanted to live…

As she curled up in her hotel bed that night, she drifted off to sleep and tried to pretend that his arms were wrapped tightly around her. She had never felt so alone or scared in her life and she knew that his arms would be the one thing to keep her safe. As she finally fell asleep…her last thought was what was Steven Hyde doing at this very moment?

* * *

**_Mt. Hump, Point Place Wisconsin_**

It was just around midnight when Hyde finally cooled off enough to stop driving around. He parked his car in his favorite spot on the hill and hopped out and sat up on the front of his car. He left the radio on and let the sweet sounds of Zeppelin ring through his ears to try and calm him down.

Slowly, he looked down at the envelope in his hands and finally mustered up the courage to open it. His hands were shaking as he unfolded the letter and stared down at her familiar handwriting and read…

_Steven,  
I'm sorry that I had to leave like this but I didn't really have any other choice. I knew if I tried to face you…I would be to chicken to leave. The truth of the matter is I have no idea where I'm going or what I'm going to do when I get wherever it is that I end up. I'm scared…but also excited to see what the future holds for me.  
I love Point Place. It will always be my home…but lately I've felt out of place here. It's too hard going to all our old hang outs because they only remind me of you. I don't know how or when I became so dependent on you but I think it's time that I finally take care of myself.  
When I realized that ring was meant for me, part of me wanted to jump for joy. I thought about what it would be like to forget the past few months and just fall into your arms again but I know deep down I can't do that. This is what's best Steven…not only for me but for you too.  
Right now you may not understand that. Hell…you may even hate me for leaving but I think we need to be apart to find out who we truly are and who we are supposed to become. If we are meant to be together…we will find our way back to each other.  
I want you to know that I love you with all of my heart and I always will. I know that I will see you again someday…and when I do I hope that we are both ready to face each other. If you do find someone else that makes you happy…that is okay too. That's all I've ever wanted Steven…for you to be happy and I hope this gives you the opportunity to find that happiness._

_I love you._  
_Always._  
_Jackie_

Hyde folded up the letter again and put it back in the envelope before laying back on the hood of his car. He rested his arm behind his head and took a deep breath trying to think about where Jackie could be at this very moment.

He had expected the letter to be more hurtful; he had excepted it to say that it was over forever. But she hadn't said that…she had said if they were meant to be they would find their way back to each other.

Through all the pain he was feeling at this very moment, he also felt hopeful. And that was feeling he hadn't felt in quite some time.

Maybe this time around things would turn out the way they both wanted them too. But he had a feeling if things were ever going to change, he had to finally man up and fight for this relationship. Jackie had done enough fighting for the both of them since day one…and now it was his turn to prove he wanted her just as much as she wanted him.

Even though the very thought scared the crap out of him, he knew it was now or never. It was time to become the man that Jackie had always known he could be…he just had to figure out where to start...

* * *

**So what did you think? I hope you liked it and aren't too devestated that Jackie left. Don't worry though! This is definitley not the end of the story...there is MUCH more to come. Let me know what you thought and I'll write a new chapter real soon. Thanks again!**

**Upnext-We see Jackie on the road trying to figure out what to do with her life and the people she meets along the way. We also see the gangs life without Jackie and how Hyde is coping with this all. Is he starting to grow up or will he fall back into old patterns? **


	4. Baby, I'm Grievin'

**Hey guys! I'm really loving reading all the Reviews so I hope you continue to send them in! Here is the next chapter. I hope you like it! It will kind of set up the rest of what's to come in the story and there is a big surprise that I don't think you all will expect. Or at least I hope you don't. Read and find out what it is and then let me know what you think so I'll have the motivation to write the next chapter! :) **

* * *

Three days later, the gang was still trying to get used to the idea of Jackie not being around anymore. Although they had often claimed she was loud and obnoxious, they were just now realizing how much they actually adored the petite brunette. It was much to quiet around the Forman's basement then they were used to. And quite honestly, everyone was depressed about her departure they weren't up to doing much of anything.

That evening; Fez, Donna and Kelso were all sitting in the basement quietly watching TV. The side door opened and Hyde walked in with a bunch of papers in his hand and a serious expression on his face.

"Where have you been?" Kelso asked as he watched his old yet distant friend walk towards his usual chair in the corner.

Hyde didn't look up as he answered. "Work."

Donna looked down at her watch and frowned, "It's six o'clock. You usually skip out around two…if not earlier."

Hyde shrugged and plopped down in his chair as he continued to study the form he was reading. "Yeah well I decided to actually do some work today. I took care of the inventory and all that and then I told W.B. I would go through the numbers for this month."

The room was quiet as they let Hyde's words sink in. What the hell was going on? Hyde was suddenly turning into a hard worker, and quite frankly that was very unlike him! To the three remaining friends left in the group, they were starting to get very uncomfortable with all the changes occurring.

First Eric moved to Africa, Jackie left to go to God knows where and now Hyde was actually working? This was too much…

Fez huffed and crossed his arms. "What has happened to my scruffy burnout of a friend who taught me all about the ladies?"

Hyde looked up from what he was doing to reveal he had shaved off his mustache and had a cleanly shaven face again. He stared at Fez for a moment and shrugged, "I figured it was time to grow up man. Can't be a kid forever."

Donna looked at Kelso who looked slightly worried; they were all thinking they were about to lose Hyde as well. She turned back to Hyde slowly and scooted closer to the edge of the couch as she rested her elbows on her knees. "Hyde…I know you miss Jackie. We all do…but acting grown up like this isn't going to bring her back. She's gone man…"

Hyde's jaw clenched and he had to take a deep breath to try and calm himself. He hadn't heard anyone say Jackie's name out loud since she left and it was like a dagger through the heart when he heard Donna say it.

He shook his head and sighed. "Donna…I know she's gone. She still hasn't called Red yet which worries the hell out of me but she isn't the only reason I'm doing this."

Donna narrowed her eyes at him. "What's the other reason?"

Hyde stood up and stared down at his three friends, "Because I'm an adult Donna. It's time to grow up and stop acting like a complete moron…sure it was fun while we were all goofing around and doing stupid shit but it wasn't reality. I gotta start taking responsibility for my actions and actually make something of myself…otherwise I'll end up like Bud."

Kelso frowned and looked nervously at Hyde, they hadn't spoken much since they found out Jackie had left. "But Hyde...what if Jackie doesn't come back? Won't you changing be all for nothing?"

Hyde's shoulders slumped slightly and he felt the familiar pain of loss tug at his heart, "Kelso man…I don't know if Jackie is going to come back. I don't know what's going to happen. I hope she comes back…but I'm not just doing this for her. I'm doing this for me…I deserve more and the only way I'm gonna get it is if I work for it. Jackie tried to get me to realize that…and I never understood it. But now I do…"

Donna stood up and faced Hyde apprehensively, "So who exactly is this new Hyde?"

He shrugged and tried to smile. "I'm still figuring it out Donna…but I'll let you know as soon as I can."

He quickly turned his back on his friends and walked into his bedroom to be on his own. He hadn't mentioned to his friends what else he had done today because he wasn't sure they were ready for that big of a change.

But as he sat on his bed and he stared down at the paperwork for his new apartment, he knew he was making the right decision. The only problem was…he wasn't sure how to break it to his friends that he was moving in a week…and not only was he moving out of Point Place…but out of the state as well….

* * *

Meanwhile, Jackie had officially crossed the border into Washington State and had driven through Seattle and was now entering the city of Tacoma. She had been driving on and off while she stopped at different hotels and even slept in her car under the stars one night. As soon as she made it into the city, something within her told her this was the place she wanted to be.

She pulled her car into a parking spot by the harbor and stepped out into the crisp night air. She looked out over the water as the sun was beginning to set, it was a little chilly so she wrapped her coat around her.

She couldn't tell really what it was, but something about this place made her feel safe and at home. She couldn't stop the smile from growing on her face as the realization of the start of a new life finally began to hit her…

* * *

The next morning, Red was sitting at the breakfast table eating some eggs that Kitty had made for him before running off to work. He was reading the newspaper and drinking his coffee when he heard the telephone ring.

He folded the paper before standing up and walking across the kitchen to answer it. "Forman residence." He said into the phone.

"Hi Mr. Forman! It's Jackie." He heard on the other line.

Red's face instantly lit up, he wouldn't admit it to anyone but he had been getting worried when he didn't hear from Jackie after the first few days when she left. But hearing her voice and how happy she sounded made him relax a little because he could hear how happy she sounded.

"Jackie! I was beginning to wonder if you forgot about the promises you made me." He said as he leaned against the wall of the kitchen.

He heard her giggle on the other end of the telephone, he hadn't heard her laugh in a long time. Not really laugh anyway…"Of course not Mr. Forman. I was just having so much fun on my road trip I couldn't decide where to stay."

"Where are you anyway?" He asked curiously.

"I'm in Tacoma, Washington." She said as she looked around the new apartment she had just bought. "It is a beautiful city! I actually just signed a lease for my new apartment. It's kind of small…but perfect for just me! And my landlord seems great, her name is Elizabeth."

"Tacoma Washington?" Red asked curiously, "That wouldn't be one of the places I thought you would end up."

She smiled and sat down in her big bay window overlooking the harbor, "Me either really…but I was passing through and something about it made me feel at home. It's absolutely beautiful here!"

"Well you sound happy…" Red whispered, frowning slightly realizing how much he actually missed this feisty brunette.

"I'm getting there." She said sighing contently as she rested her head against the glass of the window. "How are you? How's Point Place? Was everyone mad about me leaving?" She asked nervously.

"I'm fine. It's a lot quieter around here now that you are gone…the kids were sad to hear that you had left. No one is really talking about it actually…I think they almost assume that you will be barging in the door at any second to boss them around again." He said jokingly.

She smiled sadly and pulled her knees up towards her chest, "Well…that won't be happening anytime soon. I just signed a year lease here…and I really like my apartment. I'm going to go look for a job today too."

Red smiled, he felt proud that she was putting her life together but he was also sad because he knew this meant she wasn't coming home anytime soon. "Good for you kid. I'm very proud of you…but I was sad to see you go too."

Jackie bit her lip and paused a moment before asking the question she desperately wanted an answer too, "Did you give Steven my letter?"

Red smiled when she asked, he was wondering if she would bring him up. "I did."

When Red didn't continue, she felt her heart star to pound wondering what Hyde had thought of it. "Did he say anything?"

"Well he wasn't happy that you left…but he didn't read the letter in front of everyone. I haven't seen him much lately in the last few days actually, he's been working a lot." Red said honestly.

She frowned slightly, she had been curious to know what Hyde thought of her letter. She wondered if it had surprised him at all, or if it made him sad to know that she had had left. She wanted a reaction out of him…but she wasn't sure she was ever going to get one.

"Oh…well I'm sure he's busy with work and trying to keep Sam happy." She said bitterly into the phone.

Red paused for a moment, he wondered if he should tell her that Hyde and Sam had broken up. Or if that they in fact were never legally married…it really wasn't any of his business to tell. And he wasn't sure how Jackie would react to the news to be honest. He wondered if when she heard that, she would come home…

Even though he missed having her around, and he was very worried about her he knew she had to stay where she was. At least for the time being...so he decided to keep the information to himself. If she chose to contact anyone else he was sure they would tell her the news about Sam and Hyde.

For now, Red wanted her to remain happy and positive about this new venture in her life. He didn't want to complicate things by confusing her emotions even more so he decided not to say anything.

"I suppose he has a lot on his plate." Red said nonchalantly.

Jackie frowned, somewhere deep inside of her heart she had somehow hoped that once Hyde heard she had left he would have sent Sam packing. But Red would have told her if that were true. But even if Hyde had left Sam, what difference would it have made?

Yes it would mean that Hyde would be single again but it didn't really change their situation. She was still angry and heartbroken, and he was still stubborn and immature. It never would have worked out for them to get back together and she wasn't sure she would be able to get past him marrying another woman.

Besides, if Hyde had broken up with Sam and she wanted to be with him she would obviously have to move back home. Lord knows that Steven J. Hyde was never going to leave Point Place and she didn't want to go back. She liked Tacoma so far and she had a good feeling about staying here. She wasn't about to go backwards now that she was on the right track again…

She sighed and looked back out the window, focusing on the boats in the harbor. "Well I wish him well…"

Red couldn't help but smile, he heard the pride in her voice but it couldn't completely mask the pain she was feeling. He knew that she still loved Steven with all of her heart and he believed that they were in fact meant to be together. But if it was ever going to work, they needed to figure out their own lives before finding their way back to each other.

"And I'm sure he wishes the same for you." He said with a smirk on his face.

Jackie rolled her eyes and stood up again, "Maybe." She paused before continuing. "Well I just wanted to call and let you know that I was settled in for the most part. Since I signed the lease I'll be here…I'll try and call soon to give you an update."

Red nodded and straightened up, "Do you want me to give your number to everyone so they can call you?"

She frowned slightly and closed her eyes feeling the tears begin to burn, "Um…I'm not sure I'm ready to talk to everyone yet. I like it here…but it's still a big change. I'm trying to get used to being here so maybe I'll wait to talk to them all. I'll call again soon and give you my number to give to them.

Red nodded, understanding just how hard this must be for her. "Alright. Fair enough. I'll talk to you soon kid…good luck on the job hunt."

She smiled and wrapped her finger around the phone chord as she walked closer to the receiver, "Thanks Red. Miss you."

"Miss you too Jackie. Bye." He said turning towards the wall again.

"Bye Red." She said softly before hanging up the phone.

She smiled once she hung up and walked towards her suitcase on the floor. She still had to buy more furniture and things for her apartment but she wanted to save as much money as she could. Her landlord had a mattress for and it was brand new so all she needed was new sheets.

She decided to spend the day shopping for little things she really needed and could afford and then she would start the job hunt. As she slipped into the shower and let the warm water fall down on her, she reminded herself that this was the best decision for everyone.

* * *

Back in Point Place, Red went back to his breakfast after he hung up the phone. He still had a smile on his face because he really did feel proud of Jackie for pulling her life together in such a short amount of time. She still had a long way to go but he had no doubt she would be able to figure it all out on her own.

She was smarter than most people gave her credit for.

As he finished up his breakfast, he heard Hyde coming up the basement stairs. Hyde smiled slightly at Red as he went to the fridge to get some Orange Juice. Red watched him pour it into his glass and walk over to the table before he decided to speak to him.

"Well good morning Steven. I feel like I haven't seen much of you these past few days." Red said as he took another bite of his eggs.

Hyde nodded his head and took a sip of his juice. "Been working a lot at the store. Trying to get some stuff done for W.B."

"I'm sure it's been a good distraction from everything going on here…" Red said nervously, he didn't know if he should bring up the subject of Jackie or not.

Hyde nodded again and set the glass down. "Yeah it has. It's put a lot of things into perspective for me actually too."

Something in Hyde's tone of voice made Red sit up straighter and lean in to make sure he didn't miss anything of what he was about to say. "What do you mean?"

Hyde nervously cleared his throat and smoothed his hands over the surface of the table, "Well…W.B. has been talking lately about expanding the business. He wants to open stores in other cities…"

This definitely caught Red's attention and he knew that they were about to lose someone else from Point Place. "Is that so?"

Hyde had his sunglasses on and he was very grateful for it, he wasn't able to meet Red's eyes during this conversation. "Yeah. He's been wanting me to go out and open one of the new stores but I was hesitant about it before. I thought I wanted to stay here in Point Place…"

Red shifted in his seat before answering, "And now you don't want too stay here?"

Hyde looked up at him quickly and shrugged. "I figured it's time I start to grow up and actually make something of myself."

Even though he felt sad because he knew this meant Hyde would be leaving, he felt proud too. He knew this was because of Jackie leaving but he also knew that Steven was capable of more than he was doing at the moment. This would be a great opportunity for him if he took it…

"Well you certainly sound like a grown up to me." Red said smiling at his second son.

Hyde cracked a small smile before he cleared his throat. "Thanks…"

"So…where is W.B. thinking about opening these new stores?" Red asked curiously.

"Well he is having Angie open one up in New York City." Hyde said quickly, "And I offered to open a new one on the West Coast."

"Somewhere in California?" Red asked, assuming it was the most likely of places.

Hyde shook his head, "Actually he's decided he wants to open in the North West. He says there is bit explosion of music coming from out there and he wants to take advantage of it."

When the words North West hit his ears, Red perked up even more. "Where in the North West exactly?"

"Seattle, Washington." Hyde said matter of factly.

Red thought he was going to explode at that moment, and he was sure his face showed it. He saw Hyde squint his eyes at him behind his glasses when Red reacted the way he did.

He had never been to Washington…but he was pretty sure Tacoma was very close to Seattle. Which of course would mean…that Jackie and Hyde would not be that far away from each other. Was this a sign that they were in fact meant to be together? Should Hyde tell Steven that Jackie was in Washington? Would it make him change his mind? Or would it make him want to go even more.

He knew that if Jackie knew about this situation, she wouldn't be pleased. He didn't have her number though…so he couldn't call her to warn her. And somehow, he liked the idea of keeping them both in the dark about their predicament.

He knew that they both needed time to sort things out for themselves. But he also knew that they were meant to be together…and it wasn't like they would bump into each other on Hyde's first day out there. Washington was a big state after all.

"Red?" Hyde questioned nervously, "Are you okay?"

Red snapped out of his daze and cleared his throat. "Oh…yeah. I just…I guess I'm just sad to hear that you are leaving us…first Eric, then Jackie and now you."

Hyde tried to smile at Red. "What are you going to miss me Red? I thought you'd be happy to have the house to yourself once again."

Red rolled his eyes, "All my kids may be gone…but those three fools, Donna, Kelso and Fez will most likely still hang around once you've left. I mean who the hell will feed them if they don't come here?"

Hyde chuckled and thought about just how much he was going to miss Point Place, especially his surrogate parents, "I suppose you're right…"

Red laughed and shook his head, "But to be honest…I am going to miss you Steven. I know I can be a real hardass most of the time but you are part of this family…you are my third kid."

Hyde felt the lump in his throat grow and he nodded slowly. "Red…I don't know how to even begin to thank you for all that you and Mrs. Forman have done for me."

Red smiled and reached across the table to pat Hyde's shoulder. "You don't have to thank me Steven. You're a good kid…and you are always welcome back here. You know that."

Hyde nodded slowly and looked down at his hands on the table again. "I know. But I want you to know how much it means to me that you and Kitty never gave up on me when everyone else did. If it weren't for you guys…God knows where I'd be."

Red smile again, "Prison? Dead, or pumping gas right?" He teased remembering their conversation on Hyde's 18th birthday.

Hyde laughed and nodded. "Probably…"

"Well you aren't in any of those places thank God. You may have made some mistakes but so has everyone else. And I have a good feeling about this move…I think you are about to make big and exciting changes for your life Steven." Red said honestly.

Hyde nodded. "Thank you Red. I hope so."

Red nodded and stood up as he took his dishes towards the sink. "I'm very proud of you for taking the initiative to do something with your life Steven. It shows that you've really grown up."

Hyde smiled and stood up and followed him to the sink. "I figured it was about damn time I stopped acting like a kid."

Red chuckled and shrugged. "I suppose so. But don't work to hard…you deserve to have some fun from time to time too."

Hyde nodded and put his cup in the sink. "I'll try and remember that."

"Good." Red said clapping his hand on Hyde's shoulder again. "Well…as happy as I am for you there is one thing I won't be helping you with in this move."

Hyde stared up at Red for a moment and shrugged. "And what's that?"

"You're going to tell Kitty cuz I'm not dealing with her meltdown…" Red said as he turned his back on Hyde and walked towards the living room.

Hyde stood by the sink and chuckled, "Great…" He mumbled. "She's going to kill me before I even pack up the car."

Red turned to look at him from the swinging door, "You bet your ass she is."

Red turned and walked into the living room and up the stairs towards his bedroom to get ready for work. As he changed in his room, his mind was reeling. Was he doing the right thing by keeping everyone in the dark about Steven and Jackie being in the same state? He wasn't sure…but he had a feeling it was for the best for everyone.

And even if it wasn't…it guaranteed Jackie and Hyde would have to come face to face at some point. And when they did they were going to finally have to open up to their feelings. Or at least he hoped that's what it meant…

If not…it may just mean that one of them would end up dead.

He smiled as he thought he would put all the money he had down to bet that Jackie would be the one to kill Hyde. She may be tiny…but she had a hell of a lot of fire in her!

* * *

**So what did you guys think? Were you expecting this twist? Let me know and send in a review! I guarantee the more reviews I get the more motivation it will give me to write a new chapter within the next few days! :) I hope you all have a great weekend! **


	5. But If You Wanna Leave, Take Good Care

**Hey guys! I didn't get to many reviews on the last chapter so I'm not totally sure how everyone feels about the story so far. I see a lot of you are following it though so that's a good sign but it would be helpful if I got some more reviews this time around! Besides, it gives me a lot more motivation to start to write the next chapter if I get to read what you are all thinking. So if you want me to update faster, you can write a quick review and let me know what you think! Hope you like this chapter :) I enjoyed writing it. **

* * *

The following Friday, Hyde was packing up the last boxes into the Camino as he was leaving the following morning to head out towards Seattle. He was moving a few things around when he noticed Fez staring at him by the basketball hoop with a frown on his face.

He cleared his throat quickly and then shut the door before walking over to him. "Still mad at me?"

Fez huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, "Oh I cannot stay mad at you my scruffy burnout friend…"

Hyde cracked a smile and shrugged, "Glad to hear it…"

Fez sighed and then pushed himself off of the pole of the basketball hoop as he walked closer to him. "I guess I am just sad. Eric left…then Jackie and now you are leaving. Our group is shrinking by the day…"

Hyde nodded his head slowly and took off his sunglasses as he hooked them on the front of his shirt. "I know man…but we are all growing up. We can't stay around here forever acting like kids…"

Fez frowned again, "But why?"

Hyde laughed and patted Fez's shoulder before answering, "Because that's not the way life works…"

"I liked you better when you had no ambition and no future." Fez aid pouting as he looked down at the pavement.

Hyde smiled and started to walk towards his car again, "Yeah it was fun…but it wasn't really doing anything for me."

Fez followed him towards the Camino and leaned against the side of the car as Hyde moved around a few more bags and boxes. "Do you think acting all grown up is going to get Jackie about?"

"That's not what this is about…at least not really Fez." Hyde said as he straightened up to look at his friend again. "I mean…yeah I do want Jackie back but I don't even know where she is yet. Red told me he talked to her but said that she's still traveling around and hasn't decided where she is going to stay yet."

"So you're actually doing this for yourself?" Fez asked curiously.

Hyde nodded slowly. "Jackie made me realize that I deserve better man…I love Point Place. I'm going to miss you, Donna, Kelso and the Formans but I'm not doing anything staying here. I can't live in the basement forever…"

"You know Miss. Kitty would let you." Fez said trying to reason with him.

Hyde smiled and nodded in agreement, "I know she would, and I love her for that but I need to make something of myself Fez. I've spent my whole life being what everyone expects of me which is nothing but a burnout loser…I want to be more than that."

Fez sighed, "You have grown up…"

"I guess it had to happen sometime." Hyde said laughing as he shut the door to the Camino, "Look I'm sorry Fez…I'm gonna miss you. But it's time…and I promise I'll visit. It's not goodbye forever."

Fez stared at him for a moment before pointing a finger at Hyde with a stern face, "You better not be lying to me you son of a bitch because if you are…I will track you down wherever you end up and I will make you regret the day you left Point Place."

Hyde smiled, he was excited about this new part to his life, he had a good feeling about it. But he was going to miss this place and his crazy friends…even Fez's empty threats. "I don't doubt it Fez…"

Fez sighed again and then nodded, "Alright then. Now that that is settled…may we please go have one more circle?"

"Oh hell yeah…" Hyde said clapping him on the back as they walked back into the Forman's house to spend one more night in the basement.

* * *

Back in Tacoma, Jackie was painting her nails on the floor of her apartment as she bobbed her head to the music on the radio. She had gone out and bought as much furniture as she could afford but she had been unable to find a job. She had been hired at as a waitress at a nearby restaurant but Jackie had quit after the first night when she realized she had to wear a skimpy outfit and was hit on non-stop.

That was definitely not something she wanted to have to deal with, no matter how much money she would make. It reminded her to much of Sam…and she didn't want to be anything like that woman even if she did get the man of her dreams…

She was humming along to the ABBA song when she heard someone knock on her door. Since she only knew Elizabeth her landlord, she just called for her to come in.

"Hey Jackie." Elizabeth said as she walked into the living room and plopped down on the couch.

"Hey Liz." Jackie said as she finished up the last of her toes, "What's up?"

"Well since I'm the best landlord ever and your only friend in town…I thought I'd let you know about a job opening I heard about." She said reaching for the bowl of potato chips on the coffee table.

Jackie's face lit up, "Job opening? Where? What is it? When can I start?"

Liz laughed through a mouthful of chips. "Slow down their Burkhart…you haven't even heard what it is yet."

Jackie sighed and carefully walked over to the couch and propped her feet up on the coffee table to let them dry. "I know…but I'm desperate at this point. I spent most of the money my Dad left me on furniture and things I needed for the apartment. I have enough money for two more months of rent but if I don't get anything soon…I won't be able to pay you after that."

Liz patted Jackie on the arm and shook her head. "I told you not to worry about it Jackie. I was in the same boat as you when I got to Tacoma I get it...get on your feet and then we will deal with the rent."

Jackie frowned, "How are you going to be able to afford this?"

"Well if you take the job…then we won't have to worry about it now will we?" Liz said smiling at her.

Jackie smiled and nodded, "Okay…so what is it?"

"My cousin is a photographer and she needs an assistant to help her out when she goes on jobs. She told me she is desperate and she would be willing to hire anyone and let them start right away because she has a huge event on Sunday." Liz said.

Jackie pouted sadly, "But Liz…I don't know anything about cameras or taking pictures."

Liz reached for another handful of chips and shrugged. "You don't need too. She said that she just needs someone to help book events and parties and then just hold her extra cameras and bags and stuff. No skills required there really…"

Jackie thought about it for a moment and then shrugged, "Well I guess it won't be that hard…"

"Not at all. You can totally handle it. So do you want me to call her up and tell her you'll do it?" Liz asked reaching for Jackie's soda.

The smile grew on Jackie's face and she nodded. "Definitely! I'm in!"

Liz nodded and put the soda down before standing up again, "Okay. Her name is Anna Moyer, I'll call her up and let her know and then I'll let you know all the details of when and where she needs you on Sunday."

Jackie smiled back at Liz as she walked towards the door. "Thank you so much Liz. Seriously…I don't know what I would be doing without you here. You're a lifesaver!"

Liz shook her head and opened the door, "Don't mention it. I'll come by later, see ya later Burkhart."

When Liz was gone, Jackie sighed happily feeling more and more confident as the days went by. The first day or two had been difficult being on her own but she really enjoyed hanging out with Liz. Especially since she refused to let Jackie sit at home and mop around about being homesick and broke.

She made Jackie focus her attention on other things like painting the apartment, rearranging the furniture and going out to take in the sights of Tacoma. She was fast becoming her best friend and she was incredibly thankful to have her.

Reaching over to the end table, she picked up the phone and dialed the number to the Muffler Shop. "Hello?"

"Hey Red! It's Jackie." She said happily as she reached for her soda.

"Jackie. How are you kid? Haven't heard from you in two days." Red said as he shut the door to his office to talk to Jackie in private.

"I'm great actually! The apartment is pretty much all set up, I just need a few more little things once I get the money for them to spice it up. And I got a job today!" She said excitedly.

Red smiled proudly. "Not another waitressing job is it?" He asked in a teasing voice.

Jackie smirked and rolled her eyes hearing the joking manner in his voice, "No Red. Besides…I realized I could never do that because I'm to pretty to actually wait on people. I mean can you imagine me carrying food to people? It just doesn't make sense." She said shaking her head.

Red chuckled and sat down at his desk again. "No I suppose it doesn't. So what kind of job did you get then?"

"Well my Landlord Liz's cousin Anna is a photographer and she needs an assistant to help out at events and shoots and stuff. I just have to help her book appointments and hold all her equipment…it shouldn't be too hard. And I mean it probably won't be forever but it's something to start with."

"I think it sounds great Jackie. And besides it will be fun for you…you'll be able to silently mock all the hideous outfits people are wearing while Annie takes pictures of them so that they will be mocked by the pictures forever." Red said with a smirk.

Jackie gasped excitedly, "I didn't even think of that Red! That will be so much fun and so perfect for me!"

Red chuckled and propped his feet up on the desk, "So it sounds like you are doing well out there in the Wild West."

Jackie smiled and reached for the bowl of chips and letting it rest in her lap. "I'm finally starting to settle in, I feel comfortable. It's still a big change and I miss everyone back home but it's not as hard anymore. I'm just taking it day by day."

"That's the only thing you can do." Red said nodding in agreement, "I think you are going to be just fine. In fact I know you are…"

Jackie smiled and popped a chip in her mouth, "Thanks Red. So…how is everyone back in Point Place?"

"Well Kelso's still a dumbass…Fez still cries a lot because you are gone and Donna is still pining after my spindly son which I can't understand." Red said rolling his eyes.

She laughed and ate another chip. "No one will ever understand that one Red…"

"I suppose not…" Red said sighing, "But all in all everyone is fine. Trying to adjust to all the changes."

Jackie paused for a moment, trying to decide if she should ask about Steven or not. Part of her wanted to know if he missed her, if he was sad that she had left. But the other part of her was saying she already knew the answer and it was that he didn't' care that she had left at all.

After all…he did have Sam to keep him company.

As if Red could read her mind, he answered her without even needing to hear the question, "He misses you you know."

Her heart rate quickened and she tried to remind herself to breathe, "I didn't ask…"

"No you didn't." He said with a smirk, knowing she had been thinking about it. "I know. But I figured you'd like to know that he didn't forget about you…"

She felt the tears welling up in her eyes and she didn't want to cry, not when she was finally starting to feel happy again. "Oh. Well. I guess that's good to know…but anyway…" She paused. "I just wanted to call to tell you about the job…I have a few errands I need to run so I suppose I should go."

Red sighed knowing it was still hard for her to talk about Steven, it did make him feel guilty about not telling either one of them they were going to be living in the same state again. "Alright Jackie. Well call back in a few days…and remember you can't hide from the gang forever. They are starting to get worried about not being able to talk to you yet."

Jackie nodded. "I know. I promise I'll be ready in a few days. Don't worry. I'll talk to you soon Red."

"Good. Congratulations again on the job kid…I'm very proud of you. I'll talk to you soon." He said before hanging up the phone.

Jackie smiled and put the phone back down on the receiver. She looked down at her toes and saw that they were dry so she lay down on the couch and stared up at the ceiling. She tapped her foot to the music and thought about what Red had said about Steven…

He had said he missed her, was it true? Or was Red just saying that to try and make her feel better. She figured that at this very moment he was having sex with his skank of a wife and not thinking about her whatsoever.

She wanted to believe that he missed her because damn it she missed him too. No matter how much she tried to tell herself otherwise, she missed him more now than she did even when they lived in the same town.

As hard as it was to see him with that whore…it was even harder not being able to see him at all.

Damn him for making him love her…

* * *

The next morning, everyone was gathered around the Camino in the Forman's driveway as he walked out of the house with his last duffel bag over his shoulder. He smiled at his friends before throwing it in the front seat and turning towards everyone.

"So…guess this is it." He said as he turned away from Kitty, unable to meet his eyes.

Donna frowned and walked closer to him, "You're sure about this man?"

Hyde nodded slowly and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I'm sure Donna. This is the best decision for me right now…"

She sighed and pushed some hair out of her face and behind her ear, "Fine. But I really can't believe you are leaving me alone with these two…" She said pointing towards Kelso and Fez.

He chuckled and he shrugged, "As long as you make sure Kelso goes in for his regular STD check and Fez doesn't overdose on candy and porn again…you should be fine."

She frowned and leaned forward to frog him. "Thanks for totally screwing me…"

He laughed again and rubbed his arm, "I'm sorry Donna…but you'll be fine without me. You'll see."

She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him for a moment. "I hope you find whatever it is you are looking for Hyde…even though I think you are really just going to look for Jackie."

He smiled and shook his head, "I'm not looking for Jackie, Donna. I'm just trying to be the man she knew I could always be."

She nodded and kicked at the ground. "Okay…well don't stay away forever."

Hyde nodded and smiled at her, "I promise I won't."

She bit her lip sadly and then pulled him in for a hug, "I'm gonna miss you stoner."

Hyde laughed and hugged her back, "I'm gonna miss you too Big D."

Donna turned away from him quickly and Fez stepped up to him slowly, "Remember…if you find any candy they don't sell here in Wisconsin you are to mail it to me immediately."

Hyde nodded and clapped Fez on the shoulder, "You got it man."

Fez took a deep breath and felt his lip begin to tremble, "Ai me…how I am going to miss you Hyde."

Hyde smiled and pulled him in for a hug, "I'm going to miss you too little buddy."

A blubbering, sobbing Kitty walked up to Hyde and wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled in for a bone breaking hug. "I can't believe my last baby is leaving me!"

Hyde grimaced when he heard the pain in Kitty's voice and even more when she squeezed him even tighter. "Mrs. Forman…I'm really sorry. I'm going to miss you…but I promise that I will call at least once a week and I'll be home for all the important holidays."

She shook her head against his chest and held him tighter still, "It's not enough! Who will make sure you get the foods from all your food groups? Who will iron your favorite concert t-shirts the way you like them? And who is going to buy you the shampoo that makes your curls so tight and springy?"

Hyde laughed and rubbed her back, "I promise to do my best about eating all the foods from the food groups. I'll buy an iron and somehow learn how to use it, and I know which type of shampoo I need so I promise I'll never run out of it."

Kitty sniffled and pulled back to look at him with red puffy eyes, "You're a good boy Steven Hyde…"

He smiled down at her before responding, "Only because you and Red took me in…"

She smiled sadly and reached up to touch his cheek gently, "No…you've always been a good boy Steven. Don't forget it."

Hyde felt the lump growing in his throat as he pulled her in for a tight hug, not caring how emotional he looked to his friends. "Thank you for everything Mrs. Forman. I love you."

She smiled as he hugged her and rubbed his back, "I love you too Steven. You take care of yourself…"

Hyde pulled away from her as Kelso stepped up to his old friend with a nervous look on his face. "Hey man…" Kelso whispered.

Hyde stared at his old friend for a moment and nodded his head. "Hey…"

Kelso sighed and looked down at his feet nervously, "I don't want you to leave still hating me…"

"I don't hate you Kelso man…I'm just frustrated." He said honestly as he stared at his lifelong friend. "But I know I made mistakes of my own with Jackie…so I can't only blame you."

Kelso nodded slowly before continuing, "I am sorry for anything and everything I did to mess up your relationship. I know now that you really did love her…and she really did love her. I just hope it's not to late for you guys to fix things."

"We will see what happens. But I think for right now Jackie and I need to be apart to figure something's out. But I'm not giving up on her yet…" He said with a smirk.

Kelso smiled. "Good. I'm glad to hear it." He paused for a moment and then said sadly, "I am gonna miss you Hyde…it will be weird not having you around here in Point Place. I mean who else am I gonna vandalize stuff with?"

Hyde chuckled and looked towards Fez who was sitting with Donna, "I think Fez can help you out…won't be as epic as when we did it though."

Kelso shook his head and smiled, "No it won't."

Hyde took a deep breath and slapped Kelso on the back, "You take care of that little girl of yours Kelso. Make sure she doesn't forget about her God Father."

Kelso smiled sadly and nodded, "I won't let her forget you. But you better call her too…"

Hyde nodded. "Of course."

Kelso stared at Hyde for a moment and then pulled him in for a tight hug, "See ya around man…"

"Yeah…See ya Kelso." He said as he held his old friend tight, deciding in that moment to let all the negativity go between them.

As Kelso turned from Hyde, Red walked over to Hyde with a proud and smile on his face. "So you're going to call when you get out there right?" He asked.

Hyde nodded and stared at the man he considered to be his father. "Of course. "

Red nodded and stood up on his toes for a minute suddenly nervous, then he put his feet back down and smiled. "I'm proud of you for making such a mature decision to make this change Steven. It shows that you really have grown up…"

Hyde cleared his throat and nodded slowly. "Thank you Red. I wouldn't have been able to make this decision without all your support."

Red shook his head and looked over at his wife, "No…you could have done it on your own too. Kitty was right…you were always a good boy Steven. You just didn't give yourself enough credit."

Hyde shrugged, "Maybe…but it definitely helped having you and Mrs. Forman treating me like your own. It made me realize I was actually worth something…"

Red smiled and patted Hyde's shoulder, "You are worth something Steven. And you know our door is always open if you decide you want to come back. But I have a feeling this is going to turn out well for you…you're about to really take off."

Hyde smiled and nodded his head in thanks. "Thank you Red. This will always be my home…I'll be back to visit. And I hope you are right…I hope this is the start of something really good for me."

"I know it is." Red said smiling proudly at him.

Hyde paused for a moment before deciding he had to ask one last time, "Still haven't heard from Jackie?"

Red smiled and tried to hide the information he actually knew, "I talked to her briefly. She is settled in…but not ready to talk to anyone just yet. I promise I'll let you know when I hear more."

Hyde felt sad realizing that Jackie was really pulling away from all her friends and it was mostly his fault. He knew that if he could at least talk to her, even for just a minute he would feel a lot better because he would know she was doing okay.

But the truth of the matter is, he wanted to talk to her for selfish reasons too. He wanted to tell her that Sam was gone and that he was finally doing all the things she had wanted him to do. She had been the one to always believe in him and he was about to become the man she knew he could be and the man she deserved.

He wondered if it would make her come back, wondered if it meant she would give him another chance. He knew deep down it would take a lot more than this new road he was about to embark on to get her back…but it least it would be a good start.

So rather than lament on what could have been, he decided it was finally time to hit the road and get this new part of his life started. "Thanks. I guess I'll see you around then?" Hyde said looking back at Red and the rest of his friends.

Red nodded and patted Hyde's shoulder again. "Yeah. We'll see you around."

Hyde paused for a moment before he walked forward and hugged Red tightly, trying to convey how thankful he was in that one hug. He didn't say anything more, but Red didn't need him too. He understood, and as he hugged Hyde back he felt sad to see him go but also excited about what was to come for both Hyde and Jackie.

He knew it was dangerous to not tell them everything he knew, he figured they would both be a little irritated with him when they found out the truth. But he also had a gut feeling that in the end, things were going to work out the way they were supposed to for those two crazy kids.

He couldn't interfere, they had to figure it out on their own.

Hyde finally pulled away and took one last look at his friends and the Formans. He sighed and walked over to the driver side of the car and got in, he peeked over his shoulder at the first house he had ever called home and then backed out of the driveway to start this new leg of his journey.

* * *

Meanwhile in Tacoma, Jackie pulled up in front of Anna's studio to meet with her before her first job on Sunday. It was a small abandoned shop near the center of town, she walked up to the front door and walked in and looked around the place. Inside there were portraits of everything from landscapes, families, weddings, graduations and all sorts of other things.

She walked around and stared at all the pictures on the wall and they made her smile. She wished desperately she could be one of the happy people in the photographs who were surrounded by people they loved. But right now, the people she loved most were far away in Point Place and as much as she missed them she knew this was where she was supposed to be.

She was lost in thought as she gazed at the pictures so much that she didn't hear Anna come out of the back room. "You must be Jackie."

Turning around quickly, Jackie came face to face with her new boss. She looked to be about in her mid thirties, she had a short pixie haircut that suited her dirty blonde locks. She wore a pair of old jeans with holes in them and a concert T, she couldn't help but smile at this woman. It was like she was the female version of Steven Hyde and she automatically knew she was going to like her.

"Yes. Hi. I'm Jackie. You must be Anna." Jackie said walking towards her, her hand outstretched to shake Anna's.

Anna grasped her hand and shook it firmly, "Lizzie said you were pretty. She was right…my clients will love you!"

Jackie blushed and she looked around the office to avoid her gaze, "Your pictures are really great. I wish I could take pictures like that…"

"Who says you can't?" Anna asked as she walked over to the front desk and pulled out an old camera.

Jackie stared at her for a moment, unsure of what to say to her, "Well…I've never really used a camera before."

"It's really not that difficult." Anna said smirking as she walked back over to Jackie. "I bet you could get the hang of it quite quickly."

Jackie looked at her nervously, "Liz said I didn't have to know anything about cameras to get the job…"

Anna shook her head and smiled, "You don't. But it can't hurt to learn a thing or two." She shrugged and held out the camera to Jackie, "Why don't you take this camera and play around with it for awhile? I don't need it, I have plenty of others and who knows…you might end up enjoying it."

Jackie reached forward and took the camera nervously, "Well…what should I take pictures of? I don't really know anyone out here..."

Anna shrugged again, "There is no specific thing you can take pictures of. That's your first lesson…I bet you can find a great portrait in just about anything. Look around and see what you come up with…and then on a slow day we can develop your pictures and see how they come out. It will be good way for you to really get to know the city more…"

Jackie smiled and looked down at the camera in her hands, "Wow…thanks Anna."

"Don't mention it." She said walking back towards the front desk as she hopped up on it and studied Jackie for a moment, "So…my cousin says you're from Wisconsin."

Jackie slipped the camera into her purse and walked over towards Anna and nodded, "Yes I am. I was born and raised in a small town called Point Place."

Anna nodded, "Cool. I was born in Arizona but headed out here after I graduated High School. Anna's lived here her whole life and I loved coming up here to visit so I figured it would be a good place to settle down. Besides…my parents hated that I wanted to be photographer so I figured I'd get as far away from them as possible." She smirked and shrugged, "Of course that wasn't the only thing they disapproved of with me…"

Jackie studied her for a moment and wondered what she meant, but she didn't feel like it was her place to question her any further. So instead she waited for Anna to continue to speak, after a moment she snapped out of her daze and looked over at Jackie again before she spoke up again.

"But enough about me…what brings you to the greater state of Washington from Wisconsin?" She asked curiously.

Jackie shrugged; she wasn't ready to open up to anyone just yet so she decided to be as casual as possible. "Needed a change of pace really…"

Anna smirked and looked her over, "You running from the past?"

Jackie pouted slightly and shuffled her feet, "Excuse me?"

Anna chuckled and hopped off the desk and walked towards her, "Here's your second lesson…everyone is running from something. The question is…have you really escaped it as well as you might have thought?"

Jackie's eyes narrowed as she thought about what Anna had said, she even talked in riddles like Hyde did sometimes. To be honest…it was beginning to freak her out a little and yet in a strange way she found it comforting.

"I'm not sure yet…" Jackie whispered.

Anna nodded and shoved her hands in her pockets, "Fair enough…it's still early in your journey to have all the answers."

Jackie was quiet for a moment before speaking again, trying to change the subject. "So…does this mean I have the job?"

Anna smiled and nodded her head, "Sure. I like you. You seem like you can handle yourself pretty well and won't take crap from anyone. I like that. So yeah…you've got the job if you want it."

Jackie smiled feeling anxious and excited about this new job and possible new friend, "I definitely want it."

"Cool." Anna said as she walked back towards her desk and took out a piece of paper, she started scribbling a few lines on it before holding it out to Jackie. "Okay so here are the directions to the event tomorrow. It's a surprise Anniversary party for a couple who have been married forty years. Should be pretty easy but I'll just need you to hold the equipment and stuff for me. Think you can handle it?"

Jackie looked down at the directions and then nodded her head. "Sounds easy enough."

Anna smiled and nodded, "And who knows…if you end up getting good enough with the camera maybe someday you'll be able to help take pictures."

Jackie's face lit up and she nodded, "I would love that!"

"Cool. Well bum around town today and see what kind of shots you can get and then tomorrow we will start to develop them after the party. Okay?" Anna asked.

Jackie nodded and stared to walk towards the door. "I can do that."

"Alright. Well I'll see you tomorrow Jackie." Anna said walking back towards the dark room in the back. "Be there at noon."

Jackie smiled and waved, "I'll be there! Thanks Anna! See you tomorrow!"

Anna just nodded and then slipped back into the dark room as Jackie pushed the front door to the shop open. She walked over to her car, feeing more confident and happy then she had since first moving out here.

When she got settled back in her car, she opened her bag and took out the camera that Anna had given her. She rolled it over a few times in her hands and thought about all the possibilities she had before her.

She was really starting to like Tacoma…

* * *

**So what did you think? I really liked writing the character of Anna and she will play a big part of the story as it continues. Send me a review and I'll definitely start to write the next chapter tonight! I already know what will happen, I just need to write it all down so if you give me some reviews I'll be ready to write! :)**

Here is a little preview of what's to come in the next chapter:   
**We see Hyde finally get to Seattle and start to set up the new Grooves. **  
**We see Jackie start to take advantage of her camera and we find out if Hyde and Jackie will run into each other sooner...or later? **  
**If you want to know what happens send in a review! :) **  
**Thanks guys! **  
**Enjoy! **


	6. Hope U Have A Lot Of Nice Things 2 Wear

**Hey guys! I'm glad you all seem really interested :) Here is the next chapter. I hope you like it! I will update soon, even sooner if you send in more reviews! :) :) :) **

* * *

A week later, Jackie was already in love with her job and was becoming fast friends with Anna as well as Liz. The three of them often had dinner together at one of their apartments or went out when they could. One afternoon after Anna closed up shop, Jackie was sitting in the dark room waiting for Anna to finish developing her photos.

She felt nervous, she really hoped that her pictures had come out well. She had tried really hard in the last week to the perfect landscapes and scenes to capture with her first ever camera. She was in the corner of the room, nervously biting her fingernails as she watched Anna hang up all the photos.

Anna looked over at her as she hung up the last one and she smiled, "Would you relax? You look like you are about to pass out over a few pictures."

Jackie pouted softly, "I just want them to be good. I really had fun taking pictures and I want that to show in them."

Anna nodded and looked over the prints hanging up, "It does show in them Jackie. For a beginner these came out really well."

Jackie smiled and pushed herself off of the wall and walked towards her, "Really?"

Anna smiled and pointed to one of the pictures of the sunset over the harbor, "Yeah they are really great Jackie, you still have a few things to learn but they show great promise. I think if you work with me for awhile you could definitely be more than just my assistant."

Jackie beamed, feeling very happy and full of pride, "That would be amazing."

"Cool." Anna said in that same way that Hyde often did that always made Jackie think about him, "Come on lets head back to the front room."

Jackie followed Anna out of the dark room back towards the front desk and watched as Anna flipped on the record player. Zeppelin, a particular favorite of hers rang through the speakers and her mind started wandering again. Anna grabbed a beer and plopped down on one of the comfy couches in the corner before turning back to Jackie.

She noticed how far off Jackie looked and she frowned, "What's going on with you?"

Jackie quickly snapped out of her daze and sat down on a bean bag chair in the opposite corner. "Nothing…just thinking."

Anna took a swig of her beer and shrugged, "Bout what?"

Jackie was quiet for a moment, wondering if it would be a good idea to tell Anna about Hyde. She hadn't told either Liz or Anna much about him other than he was an ex-boyfriend and she wasn't sure if she was ready to tell them everything. And yet…lately she couldn't seem to get him off of her mind and it was hard to keep all her emotions bottled up.

After all, Anna and Liz were her only friends out here in Washington so far and she needed to learn to rely on someone. "You remind me of someone…"

"Someone from back home?" Anna asked moving in her chair slightly as she tapped her foot to the music.

Jackie smiled and nodded. "Yeah. My ex…Steven."

Anna was quiet for a moment, "You saying I look like a boy?"

Jackie laughed and shook her head. "No! Not at all. It's just…your mannerisms…and the way you dress. The things you say and the music you like…its very similar to him."

Anna nodded and took another sip of her beer, "Does it make you miss him?"

Jackie sighed and stood up again before walking over to get a beer, "Yes. It does. My relationship with Steven was really complicated…so it's kind of hard."

"Was he what you were running from?" Anan asked mirroring their conversation from the first day they met.

Jackie smirked and took her beer and sat down again in another chair. "He's definitely the biggest part of why I left…"

"So what happened?" Anna asked as she sat up straighter, "I mean he obviously meant a lot to you…I can see that on your face. How come it didn't work out?"

Sighing, Jackie popped open the beer and began to finally open up. "He had a lot of trust issues…we both did. I wanted a future…and he wasn't sure what he wanted. He thought I cheated on him with one of his best friends and instead of talking to me about it…" She paused and swallowed the lump in her throat, "He ran off and married a stripper…"

Anna pursed her lips and cleared her throat, "Well damn…that's some soap opera shit right there."

Jackie laughed and nodded in agreement, "I know. Pretty fucked up."

"So that's how it ended? He got married to someone else and you took off?" Anna asked curiously.

Jackie sighed again and shook her head, "No. I stuck around for a few months and he treated me like absolute crap and threw his new marriage in my face. And then the guy he thought I cheated on him with…proposed to me with a ring that Steven had actually bought to propose to me with before he got married."

Anna sat up completely straight and put her beer down on the ground to scratch at her scalp, "Man…you really are screwed up."

Jackie rolled her eyes and smirked. "Gee thanks Anna…tell me something I don't know."

Anna laughed and shrugged, "Sorry. I guess I'm just so used to having so much crap going on in my life I'm slightly fascinated to see that other people have it just as bad if not worse sometimes."

Jackie frowned sadly and stared at her new friend and boss, "What do you mean?"

Anna was quiet for a moment before she smiled, "Since we seem to be in the sharing spirit…I'll tell you my story."

Jackie shifted in her seat to get more comfortable and nodded, "I'm all ears."

Anna smiled and picked up her beer again, "Well like I said before I was born and raised in Arizona by my parents. I'm an only child…and my parents put a lot of pressure on me to be the perfect kid. My Mom had me enrolled in all these dance and edicate classes. I hated every single second of it…it wasn't me at all."

Jackie scrunched up her nose and shook her head, "No…I can't see you enjoying any of that."

Anna laughed and shook her head, "I always knew I was different…or different form what my parents wanted me to be. But I tried really hard to fit their mold of what they envisioned to be the perfect daughter. But it was never enough…" She sighed and shrugged. "They were always trying to set me up with sons of their rich friends and I tried really hard to like them. But it didn't feel right…"

Jackie suddenly had a feeling where this was going but she knew she had to stay quiet and listen. This was Anna's time to talk and she didn't want to interrupt her now.

"I fell in love with one of my best friends…" She paused and smiled. "Her name was Alyssa and I wanted nothing more than to be with her. And when my parents found out…they sent me away to some rehab place to try and get me to like boys. But it didn't work…" Anna said laughing and taking a sip of her beer, "They kicked me out and that's when I moved out here to live with Liz and my Aunt and Uncle because they accepted me. Haven't spoken to my parents since…"

Jackie felt the tears stinging in her eyes as she listened to the end of Anna's story. And suddenly…all of her own problems didn't seem so terrible anymore.

"I don't even know what to say…" Jackie whispered softly.

Anna shook her head and smiled. "You don't have to say anything. I'm not angry anymore…sure I wish my parents would accept me but it is what it is. And quite honestly…I love my life here in Tacoma. I have a great support system in my friends and family and I love my career…I could not ask for anything more."

Jackie stared at her for a moment and then smiled, "I have a feeling I'm going to be learning a lot more than just how to take a good photo from you…"

Anna smirked and took another sip of her beer, "Let's hope so. Maybe I can teach you a thing or two about good taste in music since you were listening to that ABBA crap the other night."

Jackie rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Okay. Now you really remind me of Steven! That is exactly what he used to say."

"Well I'm sorry Jackie…but ABBA is crap." She said bluntly with a huge smirk on her face.

Jackie laughed and shook her head, "Whatever. I happen to enjoy more than just ABBA you know."

"You like Zeppelin?" Anna asked curiously as she tapped her feet to the music in the background.

Jackie's face softened slightly and she nodded a little, "Yeah. But I haven't been able to listen to it much lately. They were Steven's favorite band and I'm trying to do avoid things that remind me of him as much as possible."

"Well you can't avoid me unless you quite this job and I'm not gonna let oyu do that." Anna said smiling. "So I guess…you're kinda shit out of luck."

Jackie laughed and looked back at Anna and smiled, "I guess I'll have to learn to deal with it." She paused for a moment and rolled her beer bottle in her hands, "So…what happened with you and Alyssa?"

Anna smiled sadly and shrugged, "Her parents didn't approve of her being a lesbian either so they sent her away too. She said she wanted to be accepted by her parents so she would do whatever it took to make that happen." She paused for a moment and then took a long swig of her beer, "Last I heard she married some loser in Phoenix and they had three kids together…"

Jackie's eyes widened and she frowned at Anna. "I'm sorry…"

Anna nodded slowly and sat up quickly, "Me too…But she made her choice. She may have been willing to hide who she really was but I'm not. I am who I am and I don't really care what anyone thinks about me."

Jackie smiled; she really wished she could be more like Anna. "I admire that."

Anna stared at Jackie for a moment and sighed, "Alright…don't get all mushy on me now." She rolled her eyes and stood up before walking back towards the front desk to reach for the phone, "I think we need to go into the city tonight. I'm calling Liz and we're going to Seattle tonight. To much moping around going on for my liking…" She growled pretending to be angry.

Jackie laughed and stood up and walked towards her. "What are we going to do there?"

"Oh you leave it up to me Jackie…" Anna said with a mischievous smirk, "I know all the best places in Seattle to go to…I have a feeling by the end of the night that ex of yours will be the last thing on your mind."

Jackie felt her heart skip a beat and hoped that somehow what Anna said would be true. She needed to stop thinking about her curly haired ex-boyfriend because all it did was make her want to go crawling back to Point Place.

This was her home now…this is where she needed to stay.

* * *

Back at the new Groove's in Seattle, Hyde was organizing all the records to get ready for the grand opening on Monday Morning. He had been working tirelessly since he settled into his new apartment and store to make sure he would make the opening date. But more so because the harder he worked, the less time he had to think about Jackie and where she was.

He had called home a few times and asked Red about Jackie who had no more information for him. Part of him was worried, thinking that Jackie was just wondering around the country scared him to death. She was tiny, and could sometimes be naive…he didn't want anyone to take advantage of her.

On the other hand, he had a feeling that Red was holding back information from him on purpose. He was kind of pissed about it actually and wondered if it was more Jackie or Red that didn't want him to have any information about her whereabouts.

Whatever the reason, he needed some serious distractions to keep his mind off of what could have been…

He was just starting in the jazz section of music when the front door opened and one of his new friends and employees Conner walked in.

"Hey Hyde man." Conner said as he hopped up on the table that Hyde was setting up records on. "What's up?"

Hyde looked at him for a moment and then back at the clock, "Didn't you leave like thirty minutes ago?"

Conner nodded and then shrugged, "I was bored. Nothing to do so I figured I'd come bother the hell out of you for awhile longer."

Hyde rolled his eyes and reached for a new box of records, "Gee thanks."

Conner laughed and hopped off the table and back towards the office where a cooler of beer was sitting, "Actually I came by to see if you had any plans for tonight."

Hyde stopped for a second and turned towards his new friend, "Conner man…I know we don't know each other that well but I think you should know I don't swing that way…"

Conner grimaced and shook his head, "I'm not asking you out on a date ya dillhole."

"Then what are you asking me?" Hyde asked glaring at him.

"There is this great band playing tonight at one of my favorite bars in town. I think you would like them…they sound a bit like the Zeppelin and The Who mixed together." He said as he cracked open his beer, "And on the plus side there are always tons of hot girls around trying to get with one of the band members. And when that doesn't work…they usually settle for one of us commoners."

Hyde laughed and leaned against the table, "I don't know man…I feel like I still have a lot to do."

Conner rolled his eyes as he took a swig of his beer, "Oh come on! You have been working nonstop since the day you got here. Besides we have all weekend to finish up setting up for the opening and all you have to do is finish putting the records away aright? One night out won't kill you…"

Hyde was quiet for a moment, thinking about what Conner had said. He was kind of bored, other than working on the store all he did at home was set up his apartment, sleep, smoke and eat and he was starting to get restless. It would be good to get out…seeing live music wouldn't be so bad either.

The girls however…he wasn't sure if he was ready for that part yet.

The old Hyde would have just jumped on the bandwagon and slept with the first girl that threw herself at him at the bar tonight. But he knew that would really only make him feel worse, he learned that lesson with Sam.

It wasn't like Jackie was with him right now so it didn't matter if he hooked up with another girl. But the truth of the matter was…he didn't want too.

But…he could go out and have fun without hooking up with someone couldn't he? He figured people did it all the time, and just because it was a foreign concept to him didn't mean it wasn't possible.

So he took a deep breath and nodded his head, "Yeah alright man. I'll go with you."

"Alright." Conner said walking towards him, "Show starts at nine, doors open at eight. The bar is actually right around the corner from here…"Sharky's Tavern" you seen it?"

Hyde nodded, "Yeah. I pass it on my way to work everyday."

"Cool." He said before going to chug his beer before he threw the can in the trash, "So I'll meet you there at eight then?" He asked as he walked towards the door again.

Hyde nodded and watched him walk away, "Yeah. See you then."

Conner waved quickly and then left the store leaving Hyde to his own thoughts again. He didn't feel much like doing anymore work so he walked to the back office and picked up the phone on his desk and dialed the familiar number to the Formans.

"Hello?" He heard Kitty say on the other end.

"Hey Mrs. Forman. It's Hyde." He said, smiling when he heard her excited giggle.

"Steven! How are you sweetheart? Are you eating enough? Are you getting any sleep? Do you need me to send you a care package of cookies?" She asked in a very worried tone.

Hyde chuckled, boy did he miss her. "No Mrs. Forman. I'm fine. Don't worry about me. I was just calling to say hi."

There was a pause on the other end of the phone and then Kitty continued, "That and to ask Red again if he knew where Jackie was, right?"

Hyde's heart skipped a beat and he shifted nervously in his seat, "What are you talking about?"

"Oh Steven…I know you miss her." Kitty said on the other end of the phone matter-o-factly, "I can hear it in your voice sweetie. You love the little loud one!"

Hyde sighed and leaned back in the back of his chair, "I'm just worried about her Mrs. Forman…I'd feel better if I knew where she was."

"I know Steven…" Kitty whispered into the phone, "But Jackie is a smart girl. I'm sure she is just fine."

"So Red hasn't told you anything else about her then?" Hyde asked hopefully.

"I'm afraid not." Kitty said sadly, "But if I hear anything I'll make sure you are the first person I talk too."

Hyde smiled knowing she meant what she said, "Thanks Mrs. F."

"You are welcome sweetie. I wish I could chat some more but I'm on my way to work actually…will you call again this weekend?" Kitty asked.

"Yeah. I'll call again on Sunday night. I promise." He said as he sat back up in his chair.

"Good boy. I love you Steven! Talk to you soon!" She said as she quickly hung up the phone.

Hyde sighed when he heard the dial tone again and put the phone back on the receiver. He leaned back in his chair and his mind began to wander to Jackie again…maybe tonight was exactly what he needed.

A big distraction from that pretty brunette he loved so much…

* * *

That night at around 9:30, Jackie was dressed in her best outfit wanting to make a good first impression on the people in Seattle. She was walking down the sidewalk with Liz and Anna at her sides as they talked away about the obnoxious waitress they had had at dinner.

Jackie didn't know why, but she had butterflies in her stomach. She wasn't paying any attention to what Liz and Anna was saying and she couldn't shake the feeling that something big was going to happen tonight. Whether it was a good big or a bad big she wasn't sure…all she knew was that she was incredibly anxious about something that hadn't even happened or may not happen at all.

As she entered the bar with Liz and Anna she looked around at the all the people packed in. There was a band playing and many people were dancing and singing along to the music.

She walked up to the bar with Anna and Liz and waited for the drink they ordered her. She smiled and took it thankfully and took a sip as Liz looked at her with a concerned expression.

"You okay Burkhart? You seem kind of out of it…" Liz said leaning towards her so that Jackie could hear her speaking over all the noise.

Jackie sighed and tried to nod, "Yeah. I guess I'm just a big nervous about being out. This is my first night out in a big and I don't know…I have this weird feeling about it."

Anna rolled her eyes and took a sip of her beer, "Did anyone ever tell you that you worry to much kid? I mean what the hell could happen tonight? The only two people you know in the state of Washington are me and Liz and we are with you. So what could possibly happen?"

Jackie tried to smile at her friends, "I know. You are right…I am worrying about nothing. But I can't help it…"

Liz smiled and put her arm around Jackie's shoulder, "Come on…you've been cooped up for to long Jackie. It's time to let loose and have a little fun! Let's go dance and forget about all the crap you are worried about at least for tonight. You can go back to worrying about it all tomorrow if you really want too…"

Jackie smiled and nodded her head, "Okay. Let's go."

The three friends danced there way out onto the dance floor and pushed their way into the crowed getting lost in it quickly.

* * *

Meanwhile, Conner walked up to the bar with Hyde behind him who was checking out the scene around him. They had been there for awhile and were in need of another drink, Conner tapped his fingers on the bar and told the bar tender to grab them two more beers.

"So what do you think of this place?" Conner asked yelling towards Hyde who was leaning against the bar and watching the band play.

Hyde nodded his head to the music and shrugged, "It's pretty cool. I like the band."

"I knew you would." Conner said as he handed Hyde his beer and slid some money down on the counter top, "See any girls you like?"

Hyde shook his head and took a sip of his beer, "Not really."

"Oh come on…" Conner said chuckling and leaning up against the bar beside Hyde, "There are a ton of hot girls here! There has to be someone that has caught your eye!"

Hyde looked around, sure he couldn't deny that there were a lot of sexy girls here tonight. But none of them really intrigued him enough to want to go up and talk to them. There had been a few girls who had tried to get his attention but they reminded him too much of Sam.

They were wearing skimpy outfits and practically threw themselves at him. Where was the chase? He didn't need any easy girls…it took all the fun out of it.

With Jackie he had had to work for it, he watched her date Kelso for years. And then even when he finally did get her, she still was a bit of a mystery and he loved getting to learn all about her. None of these girls held a candle to Jackie and he knew even if he tried to get with one of them…he would find no enjoyment in it at all.

"Yeah there are hot girls here…but no one I'm really interested in." Hyde said shrugging again as he continued to watch the band.

Conner glared at Hyde and teased him, "You sure you aren't gay?" Hyde turned to look at him quickly with dagger like eyes, "I mean it's totally cool if you are…I don't judge." He said shrugging his shoulders, "But I'm only asking because we both know you could pretty much have any girl you want in here and you don't seem the least bit interested in any of them. It's just kinda weird…"

Hyde sighed and put his beer down on the bar, "I'm not gay Conner. I like chicks okay? I just…I'm not interested in a quick hook up right now."

Conner stared at him for a moment and then nodded slowly. "Is this about the ex?"

Hyde hadn't talked much about Jackie to any of the people he had met here in Seattle yet. But one night after a long day of work, Conner and Hyde had started to talk about where they had come from. He didn't tell him everything about Jackie…but enough to get the point across that he still wasn't over her.

Hyde pursed his lips and shrugged, "I don't know…"

"I can tell you are still hung up on her." Conner said looking intently at Hyde, "But you don't even know where she is man…what are you going to do? Stay celibate forever until you can figure out where the hell she is?"

Hyde chuckled and shook his head, "Maybe…"

Conner rolled his eyes and laughed, "Please…like that will ever happen." He paused and looked around the room, "Besides, maybe what you need is to hook up with someone else to take your mind off of her."

Hyde hadn't told Conner about Sam, but he knew that hooking up with someone else was the last thing he wanted to do. It hadn't helped him get over Jackie when he stayed with Sam and he knew it wasn't going to help him get over her now. If anything…it would only make matters worse.

"I don't think so Conner…it's complicated okay? Just drop it." Hyde said as he let his eyes scan the room again watching the people enjoying the show.

Conner didn't drop it though and he let his own eyes wander, "No way man. I'm finding you a drop dead gorgeous girl and you are taking her home tonight."

Hyde sighed and tried his best to ignore Conner who was scanning the room for a chick for him. "Whatever…" He mumbled.

Conner ignored his comment and nudged Hyde and pointed to a girl at the end of the bar, "What about her?"

Curiously, Hyde's eyes wandered to where Conner was pointing and he immediately shook his head. "No. No blondes."

"No blondes? Are you crazy?" Conner said looking over at Hyde again.

Hyde glared at him and just repeated himself, he had no intention of talking to any of these girls but he sure as hell didn't want a blonde Sam look a like hanging on him. "No blondes."

Conner sighed and shrugged, "Whatever you say man…" He continued to look around the bar and pointed at a redhead in the corner with some of her friends, "What about her? I bet she's feisty…"

"No thanks…" Hyde said not even bothering to take a look at the girl, he had a feeling this could go on forever.

Conner didn't waste anytime looking at the other girls again though. Hyde was doing his best to ignore him until he heard him whistle beside him which caught his attention. Whoever Conner saw must be quite a looker to get that kind of reaction…

"Alright. I found her. If you say no to this one then I know you are most definitely gay." Conner said as his face lit up like a Christmas tree. "I can't even believe I'm going to offer her up to you and not take her for myself but I can see you need someone to cheer you up so I'll take one for the team."

Hyde rolled his eyes and glared at Conner. "What are you even talking about?"

"Check out that fox right there…" Conner said cocking his head in the direction of the dance floor.

Hyde sighed and thought about leaving but curiosity got the better of him again. He turned slowly to look towards where Conner was staring at and his heart dropped quickly to his stomach.

"Holy crap…" Hyde whispered to himself feeling both joy and panic build within him.

"I know right? How fucking sexy is she?" Conner said laughing. "Man you are going to be thanking me tomorrow…"

"Shut up man." Hyde grumbled as he continued to stare at the girl on the dance floor. "You don't get it…"

"Don't get what?" Conner asked suddenly now realizing how intense Hyde's focus was on this girl. "What do you know her or something? You've only been here for a week and you've been a hermit!"

Hyde took a deep breath, still not taking his eyes away from the girl. "Yeah. I know her alright…"

"Well who the hell is she?" Conner asked curiously.

* * *

Jackie was in the middle of Anna and Liz dancing to the beat with her eyes closed. The alcohol was beginning to go to her head and she felt so relaxed in this moment. All her worries about something happening tonight were slowly beginning to fade away and she could not have been happier that her friends had gotten her to agree to come out with them.

She was enjoying the band so much; she almost missed what Liz was saying to her. "Jackie…I think you have an admirer."

Jackie's eyes opened slowly and looked over to where Liz was staring. She quickly dropped the drink in her hands letting, not even caring that the glass shattered around her feet.

"Are you okay?" Liz asked Jackie whose face had suddenly turned very pale.

"Steven…" Jackie whispered as tears sprung up in her eyes.

"Steven? Isn't that your ex's name?" Anna asked leaning into Jackie.

Jackie couldn't seem to move her feet as the people danced around her and her friends watched her anxiously. But he was walking towards her now with someone following him. He had his sunglasses on as always so she couldn't tell what he was thinking at the moment.

It felt like everything else in the world had stopped as he walked closer to her. How could he possibly have found her? Had Red told him where she was? She didn't think he would do that to her and quite frankly even if he did…why would Steven care? He was married…wasn't he?

Before she could register what was happening, he was right in front of her, a small smile plastered on his face. "Hey Jackie…"

Her heart was pounding in her chest and she wasn't quite sure how to breathe anymore. "St-Ste-Steven…what are you doing here?" She yelled over the crowded room.

He couldn't tear his eyes away from her, "I live here in Seattle now…what are you doing here?"

"I…" She paused and let his words sink in.

What did he mean he lived in Seattle now? How was that even possible? None of this made any sense and she felt incredibly overwhelmed at the moment. Was he here alone? Were any of her friends with him?

Was Sam with him?

Her eyes scanned the bar again and didn't notice any familiar faces, but she hadn't noticed him before either. She didn't recognize the guy standing behind Hyde who was still staring intently at her and she suddenly felt sick to her stomach.

She looked over at her two friends who looked just as shocked and even more confused then she did. She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked back at Hyde who was waiting for her answer.

"I have to go." She whispered before pushing past everyone and running as fast as she could to the exit.

Anna and Liz gave Hyde a nervous look before running after Jackie out of the bar hoping she wouldn't get too far.

Hyde's head was screaming at him to run after her. What if she wasn't staying here? What if she was just passing through? What if this was his one last chance at trying to get her back and he just let her walk away again?

He couldn't seem to move though…his feet seemed to be stuck firmly on the ground as if they too were in shock.

He heard Conner lean into him and whisper into his ear, "That was your ex?"

After a moment, Hyde seemed to find his voice but only enough to mutter. "Yeah…"

"Damn…" Conner said sighing, "You were one lucky son of a bitch, you know that?"

Hyde sighed and let his eyes wander back towards the door Jackie had run out of. "Yeah…I know."

As the music continued to play around them and the happy people danced away, Hyde tried to wrap his mind around all of this. He was pretty freaking confused at the moment…but the one thing he did know is that he had a phone call to make when he got home no matter what time it was in other parts of the world.

He needed answers. And there was only one person who would be able to give them to him…Red Forman.

* * *

**So...what did you think? Let me know! Send in a review! It only takes a second! I will update as soon as I see that people are still interested in the story! :) **


	7. But then A Lot Of Nice Things Turn Bad

**Hello all my lovely readers! I am so glad to see you are all so enthusiastic about the story :) All of the reviews you sent in are really helping me to continue writing the rest of the story. I hope you like this chapter and will let me know by sending in more reviews! I'll try and update soon! **

* * *

When Hyde finally got home to his apartment that night, he went straight to the living room and picked up the phone. It was pretty late which means it would be even later in Wisconsin but he didn't care.

He anxiously tapped his foot on the ground and waited until he heard a groggy voice on the other end of the phone, "Whoever the hell this is better be dying…"

"You know she was here and you didn't tell me." Hyde accused Red angrily.

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment until he heard rustling sheets. "I figured it would take longer for the two of you to run into each other."

"What the hell Red? How could you not tell me that she was in Seattle?" Hyde yelled into the phone.

"Well she isn't actually in Seattle…she is living in Tacoma which is right next door." Red said as Kitty rolled over in bed and looked at him curiously, he just shook his head and she knew to wait until he was finished talking to Steven.

"Close enough Red." Hyde said leaning his head against the back of the couch. "I mean…didn't you think this would be something I would like to know? Something that I would need to know?"

Red sighed and rubbed his forehead, "Steven I'm sorry. I was just as surprised as you were that you guys are in the same area but doesn't it mean something?"

"What are you gonna start talking about fate and everything now?" Hyde asked sighing.

"Normally I don't believe in that crap but it is pretty crazy don't' you think?" Red asked.

"Sure. Crazy." Hyde sighed, "I mean don't get me wrong…when I saw her tonight I was so happy. But…she didn't look so happy to see me."

"Yeah I didn't exactly expect her to take it well." Red said sighing, "What did she say?"

"All I got was, 'what are you doing here?' and then she ran off." Hyde said closing his eyes thinking back to the look on Jackie's face when he saw her.

"That good huh?" Red said trying to suppress a laugh.

"What am I supposed to do now?" Hyde asked, "I don't know where she is and as far as I know she could be running off again."

"I don't think she'll do that…at least not right away. I have her address if you want to go see her tomorrow and try and talk to her?" Red suggested.

"And what the hell would I say to her?" Hyde asked curiously.

"Oh I don't know…maybe you tell her how you really feel for once in your life?" Red suggested with a smirk on his face.

Hyde sighed and sat back up on the couch, "Red…I don't know if I can do that."

"Steven…if you want to get Jackie back you're gonna have to let go of that pride of yours." Red said honestly, "And I think you do want to get her back…"

"Of course I do." Hyde said sighing, as he took his sunglasses off and threw them on the coffee table. "But I'm afraid she won't take me back…"

"You'll never know until you try." Red said before he paused for a moment, "I know you're mad at me…but I was afraid if you guys knew that you were going to be near each other one of you would change your minds about going. Maybe this way…it will be easier to work things out when you aren't in Point Place…"

Hyde hadn't thought of that before, it did make sense. He wanted nothing more than to fix all this with Jackie because he missed her and he knew he loved her. But he didn't know if she would be willing or able to forgive him for everything. And even if she was…how the hell could he make it all up to her?

But at least it would be better to be away form all their friends in Point Place. Their friends had always voiced their opinions about their relationship and it always caused problems for them.

Sighing, Hyde reached for a pad of paper and a pen next to the couch, "Alright. Give me her address…might as well go over there before she can run again."

"My best advice is…stay as calm as possible. Even if she yells or cries or even throws things…you just let her say what she needs to say." Red said.

Hyde laughed nervously, "She's going to murder me isn't she?"

"Most likely yes." Red said laughing.

"Great…" He said as he started to scribble down Jackie's address on the paper.

He didn't' know what was going to happen tomorrow, but he was pretty sure that he wasn't going to sleep much tonight…

* * *

The next morning, Jackie woke up in her bed and rolled over in bed with red puffy eyes. She sighed and threw her sheets up over her head, wanting to drown in her bed and never get out. She felt sick…she had cried so hard last night she was pretty sure there was no more tears left for her to shed.

She closed her eyes tightly and thought back to the night before and what had happened after she ran out of the bar.

* * *

_The only thing Jackie could hear was the sound of her heels slamming into the pavement and her breathing coming in harder._

_This couldn't be possible._

_Steven wasn't here…she had been imagining things._

_When she finally couldn't run anymore, she leaned up against the concrete wall of the building beside her and slid down to the pavement. The tears were falling freely now and she felt so cold and alone._

_"Jackie?" Anna asked as she and Liz finally caught up to her._

_She wiped her tears away and looked up at them, "I'm…I'm sorry I ran out like that."_

_Liz and Anna shared a nervous glance before Liz knelt down beside her, "Are you okay?"_

_Jackie shook her head and wiped some more tears away, "No. I just…I don't understand how he found me out here. Why is he here? I was just starting to get back on track and now he's here…"_

_Liz sat down against the wall and put her arm around Jackie, "He really did a number on you didn't he?"_

_Jackie nodded her head, "I love him."_

_Anna cleared her throat and knelt down in front of Jackie. "Maybe this means you're supposed to be together…"_

_Jackie looked back up at her and sighed, "I wouldn't take you for one to believe in fate Anna…"_

_Anna shrugged, "Well it is kind of crazy…"_

_Jackie whimpered again and shook her head, "I just want to go home…"_

_Liz looked up at Anna who just nodded and helped her up, "Come on Burkhart…lets get you home."_

_As they were walking down the street getting ready to hail a cab, Anna put her arm around Jackie. "Guess you were right about that feeling of yours…"_

_Jackie sighed and rested her head on Anna's shoulder. "Guess I was…"_

* * *

Sighing, Jackie threw the sheet off of her and sat up in bed again. She pushed the sheet to the side and crawled out of bed as she walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen and living room.

She was rubbing her eyes when she noticed Liz and Anna sitting on the couch. "What are you guys still doing here?"

"We didn't want you to be alone." Liz said smiling softly at her.

"We made waffles." Anna said holding up a plate towards her.

Jackie laughed and walked over to sit with them as she took the plate, "Thanks you guys. You really didn't have to do this…"

"I guess we feel kind of bad because we dragged you out last night." Liz said grimacing.

Jackie shrugged as she cut a piece of her waffles up, "You guys had no way of knowing that Steven was going to be there. You didn't even know what he looked like."

Anna nodded and reached for her coffee, "So what are you gonna do about him?"

Jackie sighed and put the plate back down before leaning back on the couch, "I don't know yet…I'm going to call Red and bitch him out for not telling me Steven is in Seattle first and then work from there."

Anna laughed and stood up, "Well that's a good start." She placed her coffee cup down on the table again and shrugged, "I figured you might need a day to yourself so Liz is gonna help me out at the photo shoot today."

Jackie looked up at her and then back at Liz, "Are you sure? I could pull it together."

Anna shook her head and smiled down at Jackie, "Don't worry about it. We got it covered. Take the day to wallow in your self pity and then Monday I expect to see you back at work in tip top shape."

Jackie laughed and smiled at her friends as they stared to walk towards the door. "Thank you. I am so glad I met you two…I don't know what I would do without you."

The girls waved and exited the apartment leaving Jackie alone with her thoughts once again. She laid back on the couch and tried to calm her brain down for a few minutes before she realized it wasn't going to happen.

So she reached behind her and picked up the phone and dialed the Formans number in Wisconsin. "Good morning Jackie." Red said on the other end.

"How did you know it was me?" Jackie asked as she curled up in a ball.

"I've been waiting for your phone call since last night." Red said as he leaned against the wall in the kitchen.

"So you talked to Steven then?" Jackie asked as her eyes fluttered shut, feeling suddenly tired again.

"He called and yelled at me for not letting him in on my little secret." Red said.

"Red how could you kept his from me? From both of us? But especially me…you know how vulnerable I was and still am. I came out here to forget about Steven and now he's here and I don't know what to do." She said feeling the tears well up in her eyes again.

"Jackie I get that you are upset with me and so is Steven but I didn't know what to say. If I had told Steven that you were living in Washington he would have still gone because he would have wanted to see you." Red said honestly.

"But you could have at least given me some warning." She paused and sighed, "And what's he doing all the way out here anyway? Doesn't he have a wife to take care of or something?"

"I think you need to talk to Steven about all of this…not me." Red said not wanting to dig himself in any more of a hole than he already was in.

"I don't have any intention of going into the city to see him…" Jackie whispered.

"I figured as much." He paused for a moment and looked at the clock, "But you should be expecting a visitor anytime now…"

Jackie's eyes popped open and she sat up quickly, "He's coming here? You gave him my address?"

"Well it would be pretty stupid if you two pretended like nothing happened last night wouldn't it?" Red asked rolling his eyes on the other end of the phone.

"Red! I'm not ready to face him yet!" Jackie said jumping up and running towards the mirror to try and fix her hair.

"Well that's too bad because he is going to be there soon." Red said in a stern voice, he was tired of the two of them running around each other in circles and pretending they didn't care about one another.

"But Red-" Jackie tried to reason with him.

"I know he hurt you. You have every right to be upset but its time you tell him how you really feel about everything Jackie. I supported you when you decided you wanted to leave Point Place but you can't run forever." He said softly to her.

"I wasn't planning on running forever but I thought I'd have a little more than two weeks!" She said angrily into the phone.

Red laughed and shrugged his shoulders before pushing himself off the wall, "Well there's no time like the present kid. Might as well get it over with now rather than mope around for a few more months."

She was about to say something in return when she heard a knock on the door. "Crap…he's here."

"Just be honest Jackie…tell him how you really feel about everything. Don't be afraid to fight…maybe it's what you two need." He said hoping for the best.

"Fine. But I'm still mad at you Red Forman. Don't think you are off the hook quite yet." She said angrily as she walked back to end table to get ready to hang up her phone.

"I never thought I was. Good luck kid. Call me soon." With that he hung up the phone leaving Jackie all on her own.

She took a deep breath and smoothed out her tshirt and pajama shorts before walking over to the door. Her heart was hammering away in her chest as she reached for the handle and it stopped completely when she saw him standing there on the other side.

He smiled sheepishly at her and took off his sunglasses, hooking them on the front of his shirt. "Hey Jackie…"

She licked her lips and leaned against the doorframe. "Hi…"

He stared at her for a moment, it amazed him that even in her pajamas she could still be the most beautiful woman in the world. He cleared his throat and shoved his hands in his pockets before looking back at her.

"I called Red…he gave me your address." He whispered.

She nodded slowly, "I just got off the phone with him…seems like he kept you in the dark about this little arrangement as well."

Hyde nodded slowly, "I had no idea you were out here in Washington Jackie. He said you hadn't figured out where you were going to stay yet."

She nodded again and stepped aside, "You might as well come inside…I happen to like my neighbors and I don't want to scare them off by what's about to happen."

Hyde swallowed the lump in his throat and walked nervously into her apartment. He looked around and smiled, it was definitely Jackie's apartment. There were flowers and pink throw pillows all around, make up, magazines and nail polish on the coffee table too.

"I like the place." He said looking back at her.

She walked over to the couch and sat down, pulling her legs up under her. "Thanks." She paused and looked at her uneaten waffles. "Are you hungry?"

He shook his head and went to sit down on the recliner chair next to the couch. "No thanks. Grabbed something to eat on my way here."

She nodded again and turned away from him, finding it hard to look him in the eye. "Okay…"

There was an awkward silence for a few minutes, neither of them quite knew what to say or where to even start. There was so much tension and unanswered questions and emotions running through them Jackie felt like she was going to explode if he didn't say something soon.

She rolled her eyes when she finally realized he wasn't going to start the conversation, "So why are you here in Seattle? Where's Sam?"

He was grateful that she had broken the silence, but afraid now that they were talking about what was going to happen next. "I uh…I opened a new Grooves out here for W.B. Or well…I'm opening one officially on Monday. And uh…" He paused and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sam went back to Las Vegas…or at least I assume she did. She said she had to go be with her other husband…"

Jackie squinted her eyes at him and frowned, "Other husband? What the hell are you talking about?"

He shrugged, "Turns out she was already married so our marriage wasn't even legal."

Her heart started pounding again and she shifted in her seat nervously as she looked away from him again. "Oh."

He nodded, he didn't expect her to jump for joy when she heard the news, they weren't there yet. "Yeah. But I wanted her to leave anyway…even without knowing about her other husband."

Jackie turned back to look at him slowly, "Why?"

He stared at her for a moment, and saw just how deep her pain went by looking her in the eye. "Because I still have feelings for you."

Her eyes fluttered shut and she shook her head before standing up and walking around the back of the couch. "I can't do this…" She blurted out quickly.

Hyde sighed and stood up as he made a move towards her, "Look Jackie I know things are really complicated right now…but I-"

"Steven I left Point Place to forget you and now you're here…" She said as she turned back to him with tears falling down her face, "You're here in my apartment and I want so desperately to be happy about it and just kiss you but I can't. I can't Steven and I won't."

His shoulders slumped sadly and he nodded his head, "I didn't expect you to be happy to see me Jackie…I get that you're angry with me for what I did."

She shook her head and wiped some of her tears away. "I'm not angry Steven…I'm heartbroken."

His own heart cracked at her words and to hear the raw emotions behind them. "Jackie…"

"I mean…it was bad enough seeing you with her all the time and knowing she was your wife. But then to find out you actually bought a ring but you were to coward to ask me to marry you…that was too much." She said shaking her head sadly.

In the heat of the moment, his heart race quickened and his blood began to boil and he resorted to the one thing he knew how to do well and that was fight. "I wasn't too coward to do it Jackie! But when I saw you with Kelso in that hotel room it kind of put a damper on my freaking plan!"

She rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "Oh don't go back to that Steven! You know nothing happened! And even if you were upset about it at the time, you could have told Sam to leave and been honest with me about everything!"

"And would you have forgiven me?" He asked stepping closer to her as he felt his heart hammer away in his chest.

She shrugged, "I would have definitely considered it."

He sighed and tried to reach for her but she backed away slowly, a look of fear in her eyes and his heart broke again, "Look Jackie I can't take back what I did…"

"No. You can't…" She whispered shaking her head slowly as she tried to remind herself how to breath normally again.

"But I need you to know how sorry I am for it. All of it…" He whispered trying to show her how sincere he truly was.

She closed her eyes tightly and turned her face from him, wiping some tears away from the corner of her eye. "Sometimes saying I'm sorry just isn't good enough Steven."

Hyde watched her for a moment and tried to rack his brain for something he could say to make things better. But deep down, he knew that no amount of saying I'm sorry or I love you would fix what had been broken.

He stood silent for a few more minutes before speaking again. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I can't apologize and expect it to be okay…but you have to admit that this has to mean something."

She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest as she turned back towards him. "Steven, what are you talking about?"

He stared at her as a smile grew on his face, "Out of all the places either of us could have gone in the world…we both ended up here in Washington. That can't be just coincidence…"

She huffed sadly and shook her head, "No…it's just my continued streak of bad luck."

He winced slightly at her words, he had hoped she would be somewhat happy to see him but it didn't seem that way. Taking a deep breath, he walked towards her again and tried to be as patient as he possibly could.

"Aren't you in the least bit happy to see me?" He asked softly, hoping she would say yes but afraid she would say no.

She bit her lip to try and keep from crying again as she looked back at him, taking in his face for a moment before answering. "I don't know…"

He sighed and stopped where he was again, "Fair enough…"

"It's just…" She stared and then stopped as she ran a tired hand through her hair and let out a ragged breath, "I'm so confused Steven. I was finally starting to put myself back together and now you're here…and my emotions are all mixed up again and I hate it."

"Do you mean you hate me?" He asked curiously with a sad look on his face.

She pouted softly and shook her head, "Steven even after everything we've been through…I could never, ever hate you."

He couldn't help but smile softly as he let her words sink in, "Well that's a start…"

She laughed sadly and then took her seat again on the couch as she buried her head in her hands. "I really like it out here…" He heard her say through her hands.

Hyde slowly walked back to the couch and sat down beside her, "Well I like it here too."

She sat up and looked over at him, "So…you're going to stay then?"

"In Seattle?" He asked, she nodded her head in response and he nodded back. "Yes. At least for awhile…I want to see how the store does here."

She nodded and looked down at her hands in her lap, "Okay."

He felt his heart start to beat quick again and he worried she was getting ready to run, "Does that mean you are going to leave?"

She looked back at him and shook her head slowly, "No. I like my job and I've made some good friends in the short amount of time I've been here. I think I could be happy here…"

Hyde smiled at her and nodded his head, "Good. I'm glad."

Jackie looked at his face for a moment and then sat back on the couch, curling her legs up and leaning her head on her knees again. "It's never going to be over between us, is it?"

She had spoken so softly to him he wasn't even sure at first if he had heard her right. He let her question hang in there air for a few moments before looking back at her as he rested his elbows on his knees and he shook his head.

"I don't think so Jackie…" He whispered back.

She licked her lips slowly and let a tear fall out of her eye as she nodded slowly. "I don't know what I'm supposed to say or do now…"

"You don't have to say or do anything if you don't want too." He said still staring at her intently.

She leaned her head back against the couch and stared deep into his eyes, "She's really gone?"

Jackie didn't have to say her name for him to know what she meant; he nodded his head and answered her. "She's really gone Jackie."

She squinted her eyes and tried to read his expression for a moment before she asked, "Are you sad?"

He didn't hesitate to answer this question as he shook his head, "About her leaving? No." He paused for a moment and then continued, "But I was sad when Red told me that you left…"

She didn't move as she continued to stare at him before she responded, "I had too…"

He nodded and moved his body to face hers on the couch. "I know."

"Everything hurt." She whispered as her voice cracked, "I thought I could hold on…but then when I found out about the ring…" She took a deep breath and shrugged, "It's like something inside of me snapped Steven…I had to get away as fast as I could."

He reached his hand out towards her and placed it gently on her knee, he felt her body stiffen but he didn't move it away. "I am so sorry for the way I treated you Jackie…I will never be able to apologize enough for it."

The lump in her throat was growing by the minute and it was taking all of her strength not to lunge at him. Whether she wanted to kiss him passionately or beat the crap out of him she wasn't quite sure.

"What do you want from me?" She said in such a sad and tired voice, Hyde was sure it had pierced his heart like a knife.

"I want to know that you are going to be okay…" He whispered. "I want to know that we can move past this…"

She let more tears fall from her cheeks as she answered him. "I will be okay eventually Steven…"

He nodded slowly and cleared his throat as he asked his next question, "And what about us? Are we going to be okay?"

She stared at him for a moment before sitting up straighter and letting her legs fall down so her feet touch the ground, their knees were touching and she reached slowly for his hand. The feel of her small hand against his once again sent shivers up his spine and he couldn't seem to take his eyes off her fingers as they traced the lines in his palm. It was something she had often done when they were alone together in bed after they made love and it always comforted him.

"I'm not sure what's going to happen with us Steven…" She whispered to him sadly as she continued to play with his hands, her eyes slowly moved up towards his face and she swallowed hard. "I obviously still have very strong feelings for you…"

He nodded slowly as he felt his heart fluttering in his chest, "I have very strong feelings for you too Jackie…I always have. Even when I was with…"

He couldn't seem to say her name and Jackie was okay with that, she didn't want to hear her name on his lips anyway. She looked back at their joined hands and took a deep breath before she continued to talk.

"The thing is I'm very confused…and I'm still very hurt by what happened." She whispered softly to him.

He nodded and watched her face as she continued to play with his hands, "I know…"

"And I'm not sure when and if I will be able to get over everything that happened." She whispered sadly.

He felt his heart drop to his stomach at her words and he decided to start talking again. "I came out here to Seattle to make myself better…"

Her eyes traveled up to his again and she stared at him with a confused expression on her face. "What do you mean?"

"You always told me I deserved more and could do more than what I was doing in Point Place…" He whispered to her, searching her eyes for any sign of hope. "I told Donna I wasn't coming out here because I wanted to try and get you back. But it was a lie…"

"Steven I don't understand…" She whispered shaking her head, "I thought you didn't know I was here…?"

"I didn't." He said shaking his head, "But I thought maybe if I could get my life together and really prove to you that I was becoming the man you wanted me to be…" He shrugged slowly and tried to smile at her. "I thought maybe someday you would come back to Point Place and hear about what I was doing. And then maybe you would be impressed and want to try and give me another chance…"

She licked her lips and looked deep into his blue eyes, "I don't know what to say…"

"Red was the one that made me see that it is kind of fate that we're both here Jackie." Hyde whispered to her, "I don't usually believe in that kind of stuff but I think he's right…it has to mean something."

Her fingers stopped moving against his hand as she let his words sink in, "Maybe it does…"

"I'm not asking you to forgive me this second…" He whispered. "I know it will take some time…" He took a deep breath, "But do you think it could ever be like it used to be with us?"

She squinted her eyes and shrugged. "I don't know…" He was about to respond when she interrupted him. "I just…" She paused again and looked down at his hands, finding it hard to meet his eyes, "I think I need some time…"

He swallowed the lump in his throat as he listened to her words. He knew it had been a long shot coming here thinking that she would automatically forgive him for all the crap that he had done to her. But he couldn't deny the fact that he had fantasized about her falling into his arms and being able to make love to her again after all this time.

He knew he was lucky she had even let him into her apartment and listened to what he had to say at all. She could have yelled and screamed and told him that she never wanted to see him again. But she hadn't…she had let him say the things he needed to say and she said the things she too needed to say.

And here they were holding hands on her couch and even as nervous as he was about what the future held for them…he still felt some sense of hope.

"Time…" He whispered back to her, still staring longingly at her face.

She nodded and looked back up at him as she let go of his hand and placed hers on her own lap. "Yeah. Time…"

He already missed the warmth of her skin against his and he wondered when he would be able to feel it again. But rather than ask her, he nodded his head and took a deep breath as he sat up a little straighter.

"Okay…I understand." He whispered as he watched her stand up from the couch and walk towards the door.

She nodded thankfully and looked back at him. "I don't mean to throw you out…but I just think it would be better if I had some time to process all of this. On my own that is…"

He nodded slowly and felt sad to leave her again, but he told himself he had to start putting her needs first. So he pushed himself up off of the couch and walked towards her at the door.

"It's okay. I sort of just showed up unannounced here…I expected you to throw me out right when you saw me." He said with a smirk.

She laughed sadly, "The thought did cross my mind…"

Hyde nodded and walked through the open door as he turned back to her, "Well uh…I guess I'll see you around?"

She rubbed the back of her neck and looked down at the ground quickly before looking back at him. "Yeah...I just need a few days to think things through."

He nodded slowly as he put his hands in his pockets. "Okay…well I'm having my grand opening of the new Groove's on Monday at noon if you want to come. It's right by the bar we ran into each other at on Friday. You don't have to come if you don't want too…you know if it's too soon or whatever…but you are more than welcome to come by."

She smiled at him and nodded, "I'll think about it."

He stared at her for a moment, afraid that he wasn't going to see her again unless he came here to talk to her himself. "Okay…"

She saw the fear in his eyes and she sighed softly, "I'm not going to run again if that's what you are afraid of…" She paused for a moment and laughed, "I would if I could…but I ran out of all my Dad's money."

He chuckled and nodded, "Good to know."

She put her hand on the door frame and took another look at him. "Thanks for coming by to talk to me Steven…"

He nodded slowly and smiled, "Of course. I figured it was the least I could do…"

She smiled, "I'll see you around. Goodbye Steven."

She shut the door quickly before retreating back into her apartment. As soon as she locked the door, she walked back to her room, crawled back into bed and curled up into a ball. In less then a second the tears began to pour out of her eyes and her body shook with sobs as the confusion and emotions overwhelmed her…

* * *

Back in his car, Hyde began to drive back to Seattle and he thought about the conversation he had had with Jackie. He was sure it could have gone better, but it also could have been worse. He wasn't sure if she was going to come to the grand opening of Grooves…he hoped she would.

But she had said she needed time, and maybe she meant more than just two days. For the time being he had to think positive thoughts and believe that what Red had said was true. It wasn't just coincidence that they both ended up this close together...it had to mean something.

And what he hoped it meant was that their story definitely wasn't over yet...

* * *

**So what did you think? Let me know by sending in a review! It doesn't take long!**

**Up next-Jackie talks to Liz and Anna about her feelings for Hyde and asks them what she should do about the situation and if she should go see the new store on Monday.  
****Hyde tries to focus on the grand opening of the store but will he be able to concentrate with worrying about if Jackie will show up?  
**  
**The quicker you review the quicker I'll be ready to update! **


	8. Oh baby, baby, it's a wild world

**Hey guys! Sorry it took so long for me to review but I had an unexpected visit from some friends and family this week which kept me pretty busy the last few days. But here is the next chapter! I hope you enjoy it and if I get reviews I'll make sure to update sooner this time! :) **

* * *

For the rest of the weekend, Jackie had spent some time getting more adjusted to her new life in Tacoma. She had finished decorating her apartment and used it as a way to relax her mind a little. She thought a lot about her meeting with Hyde…everything he said seemed to be ringing in her ears.

Was it fate that they were together in the same state?

She used to believe in that sort of thing but now she wasn't so sure. But she couldn't deny that this was pretty crazy that after everything they had been through they ended up only a city a part from one another. By Monday morning, she was still trying to figure out if she wanted to go to the opening of Groove's or not…

She wasn't sure she was quite ready for that.

As she walked into the photo studio, she smiled at Anna and walked over to her. "Good morning."

Anna smiled up at her as she sorted through some photos. "Hey! Glad to see you smiling this morning."

Jackie smiled and put her coat on the hook on the wall and walked over towards Anna, "I think I've done enough crying the past few days…"

Anna nodded and went to pour Jackie a cup of coffee, "Yeah, ain't no use in crying over things you can't change."

She walked back over to Jackie and handed her her coffee, Jackie smiled and took it from her. "Thanks. How did everything go this weekend with Liz?"

Anna smiled, "It was great. She helped out a lot before I hired you so she knows what she is doing. But I'll be happy to have you at the next event on Thursday."

Jackie nodded and took a sip of her coffee, "Well I appreciate that you let me have the weekend off. I needed it…"

Anna shook her head. "Don't mention it. I get it…how are you doing anyway?"

Jackie raised and eyebrow and sighed as she put her coffee mug back on the counter, "I'm alright…Steven actually showed up to my apartment after you guys left."

Anna stared at her for a moment before responding, "How did that that go?"

Jackie smiled and shrugged, "It went a lot better than I had expected it too. I mean I was shocked to see him on Friday night…but it felt good to just talk to him a little. I feel like we had been avoiding each other for so long that we both just exploded when we saw each other with all the things we wanted and needed to say."

"So what does this all mean?" Anna asked, "Are you guys getting back together?"

Jackie sighed and looked down at her hands, "No. I mean…I love Steven…I really do. And I was shocked when he admitted that he still had feelings for me but I'm not sure we are really ready for that. After all the crap he put me through he can't just expect me to fall into his arms and forgive him for everything."

Anna nodded, "True…I think you're being smart about this. But…"

Jackie shifted nervously and cocked her head to the side, "But what?"

"But…I'd hate to see you miss out on a good thing ya know?" Anna said shrugging.

Jackie sighed and shook her head, "Anna you don't know Steven…he and I could never have a real lasting kind of relationship. It just never works out between us."

"It never worked out before…but maybe it could now." Anna said as she smiled at her friend.

Jackie groaned and put her head down on the counter, "Why does love have to be so damn complicated?"

"No clue." Anna said laughing, "But try doing it when no one approves of your romantic preferences and then talk to me about how complicated it is…"

Jackie sighed and stood up again staring at Anna, "I guess I don't really have much to complain about considering everything you've been through."

Anna shook her head, "I'm not looking for sympathy here Jackie I just don't want to see you miss out on a good thing like I did. It's obvious that you care a lot about Steven and he clearly cares about you."

"But I don't trust him…" Jackie whispered sadly. "He acts so sweet…and then something happens and he freaks out and runs off and finds a way to totally ruin us."

"But clearly he is ready to change don't' you think?" Anna asked.

"Why because he moved out here to start a new store?" Jackie asked.

"Well you said he never really showed much ambition before, now it seems like he wants to make something of himself." Anna said shrugging.

Jackie sighed and looked at her friend sadly, "It was much easier when I could tell myself that I hated him…"

"But that was when you didn't have to see or talk to him." Anna said trying not to smile, "It's going to be kind of hard to pretend you hate him when you're this close to each other. And I'm betting he shows up from time to time to see you…"

Jackie bit her lip nervously, "His store opens today and he invited me to the opening."

"He did?" Anna asked surprised by her comment, "What time is it at?"

"Noon…" Jackie said looking over at the clock which read half past nine.

"Well screw this work…" Anna said throwing the pictures she was sorting through to the side, "Let's call up Liz and take a little road trip down to Seattle."

Jackie shook her head, "I don't think that's such a good idea."

Anna rolled her eyes, "What's the worst that could happen? Besides…you can't tell me you don't want to see him."

She sighed and shook her head again, "I just don't think I'm ready for that yet…I still need more time to process the fact that he is even in the same state as me!"

Anna sighed and slumped her shoulders, "Oh fine…I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do but I think you should go."

Jackie scrunched up her nose and looked over at the photos, "Can't we talk about something else? Or at least get some work done so I can keep my mind off of this crap for a little while?"

"Fine. But you can't avoid it all forever." Anna said staring at her sternly.

Jackie rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue. "Fine."

Anna laughed, "Real mature Jackie…" She handed her a pile of photos, "Alright…help me go through these and pick out the best ones to send to them."

Jackie looked down at the photo in her hand and couldn't help but feel tears stinging in the back of her eyes. It was a photo of a couple on their wedding day, staring deep into one another's eyes showing just how much they truly did love each other.

She wanted that more than anything, and she wanted it with Steen Hyde but she didn't think it was possible at this point. Quite frankly she wondered if she would ever have that feeling with anyone…

* * *

At Groove's about thirty minutes before the opening, Hyde was putting the last minute touches on the store. He was running around as if he were a mad man but he was pretty sure his nerves were more about whether or not Jackie would show up than how the store would do.

He was ordering his few employees around when he felt a tap on his shoulder making him spin around quickly, "What?"

Conner threw his hands up in the air and stepped back, "Whoa…calm down there boss. Just checking in with you."

Hyde sighed and ran a hand over his forehead, "Sorry man…I don't know why I'm freaking out so much here."

"I highly doubt it has anything to do with the opening." Conner said laughing as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Hyde glared at him and shook his head, "What are you talking about?"

"You've been so wound up since we ran into that hot ex of yours Friday night." Conner said with a smirk on his face.

Hyde's glare intensified, "Man don't try and talk about things you don't know anything about. Okay?"

He started to walk past Conner to check the registers again but Conner followed him clearly not getting the signal that he was over this conversation. "You went all the way to Tacoma to see the girl…you can't tell me that you don't want her back."

"You know…it's your fault in the first place that I ran into her on Friday." Hyde said as he went behind the counter.

"Oh no…you can't blame this one on me. I don't even know the girl so how was I supposed to know that she would be there?" Conner said rolling his eyes.

Hyde closed the register and then looked back up at Conner, "Can we talk about something else please?"

"Not until you tell me what happened in Tacoma. Clearly something happened because you wouldn't be so upset if it didn't." Conner said ignoring his comment.

"Have I told you that I hate you?" Hyde said walking around the counter again trying to get as far away from Conner and this conversation as he could.

Conner chuckled and followed him, "You can't hate me man. I'm the only friend you've got out here, remember?"

Hyde huffed and started to straighten bins of records out, "I'd rather be friendless than be friends with you at this point."

"Hey!" Conner said pretending to be hurt, "I thought we really bonded this past week or so…"

"Would you like to be fired before I even open the store up?" Hyde said looking over at him angrily.

Conner chuckled and threw his hands up in defeat again, "Alright…I get it. You don't like to talk about this kind of stuff…but you might want to put a smile on your face and change the attitude if you hope to have the store stay open for more than today."

Hyde sighed as Conner laughed again and walked away from Hyde and towards the register once more. He looked up at the clock, twenty minutes to show time…

Would she, or would she not show up?

* * *

Later that afternoon, Jackie was finishing sorting through the photos for their latest event. Anna was cleaning up the food they had ordered and singing along to the music on the radio. Jackie slipped the photos into their envelope and then looked back at the clock, it was four o'clock.

Hyde's store had been officially open for four hours now and she hadn't showed up like he had asked her. Anna smirked at her as she threw a few bags into the trash and turned down the radio.

"Are you regretting not going to the opening?" Anna asked.

Jackie snapped out of her daze and looked over at Anna and shook her head, "No."

Anna nodded slowly and wiped down the table they had eaten at, "Okay…"

Jackie sighed and put the envelopes into their slots where the customers could pick them up. "Do we have anything else to do today?"

Anna shook her head, "Nope. We got everything done that we needed too."

Jackie nodded and walked around the counter, "So I can take off then?"

Anna nodded, "Sure, you got plans?"

Jackie shook her head and went to grab her coat, "No…I'm kind of tired. I didn't sleep much this weekend so I'll probably just hang in tonight."

Anna stared at her for a moment, "Liz and I might go catch a movie if you want to join us…"

Jackie smiled and shook her head again, "No…I think I just want to stay in tonight. But thanks for asking. I hope you guys have fun. I'll see you tomorrow right?"

Anna nodded and watched her walk towards the door. "Yep. We have that engagement photo shoot tomorrow at eleven so just meet me at the park."

Jackie nodded, "Oh right. Okay. I'll be there."

"Cool." Anna said as she lifted her hand and waved to her, "Have a good night."

"Yeah. You too." Jackie said smiling as she walked out of the office and went to her car.

She drove back to her apartment and paced around for an hour or so trying to tell herself she didn't need to go down to the store. When her anxiety level wouldn't lessen, she decided to take a bubble bath to try and calm herself down.

But even the warm water and the bubbles couldn't seem to turn the thoughts in her brain off. There were so many reasons why she shouldn't down to Seattle and see Hyde and yet at the moment none of them seemed to matter.

As she soaked in the bubbles she sighed and slipped her head under the water and screamed at the top of her lunges in the water…

Why did everything have to be so damn complicated?

* * *

By 7:55 Hyde knew she wasn't coming. He couldn't say he wasn't terribly surprised but he had hoped that she would show up even for just a minute or two. As he rang up the last customer he listened to his co-workers talk about how successful they had been on their first day.

He should have been happy…

But it didn't seem as enjoyable if he had no one by his side to celebrate with.

"Well we went over our expected sales." Conner said walking up to Hyde with a smile.

Hyde nodded slowly, "Yeah. We did great. Thanks so much to everyone for all your hard work the past week and especially today."

"We should go out for a drink and celebrate!" Conner said as the rest of the employees cheered in agreement.

Hyde smiled and rubbed the back of his neck, "Uh…I'm kinda beat. Why don't you guys go and I'll close up."

"Oh come on boss…" Conner said laughing, "You have to come with us."

Hyde shook his head, "No really…I'm good. I'm exhausted and I have to do inventory and stuff."

"Do you want me to stay and help out?" Conner asked.

Hyde shook his head again, "Nah. Go out. Have a drink for me and I'll see you all tomorrow."

"Alright…" Conner said as the rest of the employees walked towards the door. "See ya tomorrow. Don't work to hard."

Hyde smiled and waved to everyone and then grabbed his paperwork to start inventory. He put his favorite Zeppelin record on and started to go through the records to see what they needed to order more of after their first day. He was so lost in his work he almost didn't hear the bell above the door ring but he looked up at the last minute and his heart felt like it had dropped to his stomach.

"Jackie…" He whispered in shock.

She smiled nervously and pushed some hair out of her face, "Hey…looks like I pretty much missed the opening huh?"

Hyde looked over at the clock, which read 7:59, "Technically there is still one minute left of the day."

She smirked and walked over to the counter and picked up a ABBA record, "Okay…then can I be your last sale of the day?"

He nodded slowly as he felt his heart pounding in his chest, "Sure."

Together they walked to the register at the counter, he walked behind it and rang her up and she handed him the money. He gave her her change and she smiled, slipping it into her pocket she looked back at the clock which changed to 8:00.

"Guess opening day is officially over." She whispered.

He nodded and couldn't seem to take his eyes off of her, "Guess so…"

She took a deep breath and slipped the record into her purse, "I was going to come earlier…but I had work and then…" She sighed and shrugged, "I tried to talk myself out of coming until it was almost too late to show up."

Hyde nodded his head slowly and continued to stare at her, "I didn't expect you to show up at all so I'm glad you're even here."

She smiled. "I drove out here and got back on the Highway to go home three times…so I didn't really expect to show up either."

Hyde laughed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "That must have been very frustrating trying to decide if you wanted to come into the store or not."

Jackie smiled and then looked down at her hands which were on the desk, "Steven…"

He could sense her anxiety about the situation and he wanted to try and help her feel more comfortable, "Want to help me do inventory?" She looked back at up at him surprised by his statement but he just shrugged, "You used to help me at the store back home…"

She nodded slowly and backed away from the counter, "Yeah sure…I'll help."

He nodded and they walked together to the first row of records as Jackie began to sort through them and count. They did their work in comfortable silence for a few moments before she found the courage to speak up again.

"The place looks great. It's a lot bigger than the store in Point Place." She said looking around as she jotted down some numbers on the paper.

Hyde nodded, "Yeah, it's much bigger. W.B. wanted to really build an empire so he found a great location."

She nodded and started on the next artist, "Well…I'm proud of you. It takes a lot of courage to open and leave your home town and open a store in such a short amount of time."

Hyde wrote on his own papers and smiled, "Well I got the courage from you when I heard you had left…"

She stopped what she was doing and looked over at him, "What do you mean? I thought you said you were upset that I left."

Hyde nodded and looked at her quickly before turning back to another stack of records, "Well I was. But I was also proud of you because I knew how hard it must have been for you to do that."

Jackie bit her lip and nodded, not taking her eyes off of him. "It was hard. But I had to get out of Point Place…I felt like I was suffocating."

He sighed and moved to the other side of her to start counting other records, "Well that's my fault…"

She abandoned the records completely and turned her body to look at him again, "Not completely…"

He stopped what he was doing and turned towards her, "What do you mean? I'm the one that hurt you."

"Because I pushed you to hurt me…" She whispered sadly, "I never should have given you that stupid ultimatum. I knew it would make you freak out…"

Hyde watched her face soften and so many questions began to race through his mind, "Then why did you do it?"

She pushed the records aside and turned her body to lean against the table, "Because I was freaking out inside…I felt like my life was at a cross roads and I had to start making decisions." She didn't look at him as she continued to speak but he couldn't look away from her. "I wanted to take the job in Chicago…but I wanted to be with you more. But at the same time I was afraid that if I gave up the job you would eventually get sick of me and break up with me and then I'd be left with nothing."

"But why did you think I would break up with you?" He asked curiously.

She turned towards him and smiled sadly, "Because…we both know that you never wanted me as much as I wanted you."

His eyes widened in shock and he slumped against the table, "What are you talking about?"

She swallowed hard as her cheeks turned red, "Well…that's true isn't it?"

He was quiet for a moment before shaking his head, "Jackie…why would I have stayed with you for two years if I didn't want to be with you?"

She smiled sadly and shrugged, "Because you were bored?"

Hyde sighed and turned his back towards the table and leaned against it like she did, "Wow…I never realized how not talking about my feelings really made you that insecure about us."

"What do you mean?" She asked feeling confused by his words.

"Jackie…" He turned his head to the side to look at her as she crossed his arms over his chest, "I always wanted you."

She felt her heart race in her chest and she had to turn away from him quickly because she was afraid that she would start crying. "I didn't know that…"

"I know that now…and I'm sorry." He whispered to her.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and pushed herself off the table and turned to face him. "We both really screwed up didn't we?"

Hyde smiled sadly and nodded, "I guess we did."

She bit her lip nervously and brushed some hair behind her ear, "Can I ask you something else?"

He nodded, "We might as well keep the honesty train rolling here so shoot."

She smiled and took a deep breath, "Why did you buy a ring if you didn't feel like you were ready for marriage?"

He sighed again and took his sunglasses off to hook them in the front of his shirt, "To be honest I was terrified when I bought the ring. I didn't think we were ready for marriage but I knew if I didn't do it I would lose you…"

"So you were willing to do something you didn't want to do just to keep me around?" She asked.

"I was scared…" Hyde said shrugging, "I never really thought about marriage to be honest but at that point I couldn't see my life without you…"

"But if you didn't think you wanted to be married why did you marry Sam?" She asked getting caught up in all of these questions and the fact that she was finally getting answers.

Hyde laughed and shrugged, "Because I was drunk and pissed off."

She rolled her eyes and glared at him. "That's not a good enough reason to marry someone Steven…"

"Jackie…" He said staring intently at her, "I was hurt when I saw Kelso in that towel. I know that nothing happened now…but at the moment it killed me. I wanted to do something that hurt you just as much as you hurt me."

"Well I think you have succeeded and then some." She said huffing sadly.

He nodded in agreement, "I guess I did."

She stared at him for a moment before speaking up again as the tears started to spill down her cheeks, "You didn't have to stay with her…"

He sighed and shook his head, "No. I guess I didn't. But I did."

She wiped her tears away and asked in a shaky, confused voice, "But why?"

"Because it was easier." He said honestly, he saw her face fall even more and he sighed. "Because…I was tired of hurting you and I thought if stayed with Sam it would make your life easier."

"How would that have made my life easier Steven?" She asked rolling her eyes feeling angry now, "I was still in love with you! How would it help to watch you flaunt your new wife in my face?"

He shrugged, "It was just the best plan I had at the time okay?"

She scoffed and turned her head away from him, "Well it was a pretty crappy plan if you ask me."

He chuckled and nodded his head, "I suppose it was…"

They stood in silence for a few moments before Jackie spoke up again, "So what are we supposed to do now?"

He stared at her for a moment before he took a deep breath and uncrossed his arms, "What do you want to do?"

She sighed and threw her hands up in defeat, "I want to run out that door and never see you again…"

He winced as her words cut threw him like a knife and his heart began to ache, "I guess I can't stop you if that's what you want to do…"

She smiled sadly and shook her head, "We both know I won't do it. No matter how badly I want too…"

He stared at her for a moment as he felt his heart race quicken, "Yeah…but why not?"

She smiled and shrugged, "Because no matter how angry or hurt I am with you…I can't seem to just let you go completely."

"Is it because I'm so charming and my sideburns are irresistible?" He said with a boyish smirk on his face trying to lighten the mood.

She laughed and leaned forward to punch his shoulder, "You're such an ass."

He chuckled and shrugged, "I must be doing something right to keep you interested…"

She giggled again and sighed, "I suppose so."

He watched her for a moment, trying to read her body language for a few moments. She seemed almost smaller to him than she was in Point Place if that was even possible. She had always been tiny, his tiny little doll face…she was perfect. But he was finally starting to see how much their break up had truly affected her.

"What do you want me to do?" He asked her quietly.

She took a deep breath and then looked up at him again, "We can't be together…"

He sighed sadly and grimaced, "Ever?"

She shrugged, "I don't' know if I would say not ever…but at least not right now."

He inhaled sharply and nodded, trying to remind himself that there was technically still hope. "So where does that leave us?"

She stared at him for a moment before answering, "I guess it leaves us…" She paused and then smiled, "As friends?"

He picked his lips and itched his chin as he contemplated what she had just suggested, "As friends huh?"

She shrugged and laughed a little, "I guess it's a pretty foreign concept for us. I'm not sure we were ever really friends."

He laughed and shook his head, "No. I guess not. I think we were more enemies first…"

She nodded and smiled, "And then I was your Zen student…"

"And then you had a crazy crush on me." He teased leaning over to poke her on the arm.

She rolled her eyes, "Like you didn't like me too…"

"Whatever…" He said turning away from her with a smirk on his face.

She laughed and shook her head, "I suppose after that we went back to enemies…"

"And then secret make out buddies…" He said with a sly satisfied smile.

She groaned and shook her head, "And then we became boyfriend and girlfriend…"

"Much to everyone else's dismay…" He said under his breath as he thought about their friends reactions to their relationship.

She nodded, "I suppose so…" She paused again and then looked back up at him with a sad look on her face. "So where are we now? Back to enemies again?"

He shook his head with a sad look on his face. "I don't think we are enemies now…and to be honest I don't' think we ever were. At least I didn't feel that way about you…"

She sighed and turned away from him again as she felt the tears in her eyes growing again. She took a deep breath and cleared her throat as she kicked at the ground nervously trying to avoid his gaze.

"So what…we're friends now?" She asked still not meeting his eyes.

He was quiet for a moment trying to decide if he could actually be her friend, he figured it was better than nothing. "What other choice do we have?"

She huffed and turned to look at him, "Oh I can clearly tell how much my friendship would mean to you Steven…"

He laughed and rolled his eyes, "You know what I meant Jackie."

She sighed and nodded slowly, "I suppose I do…"

He smiled at her, trying to read her expression, "So we're friends then?" He asked as he stuck out his hand for her to shake.

She stared at his outstretched hand for a moment and tried to talk herself into turning around and leaving. It would probably be easier that way…

They wouldn't have to get all mixed up in this friendship that would obviously turn into more. Like she had said before, she couldn't seem to let him go no matter how much she wanted to at times.

He was Steven Hyde and she was Jackie Burkhart and it seemed that they weren't going to actually be over.

She took a deep breath and reached her hand out to his and shook it firmly. "We're friends."

They stayed like that for a moment, hands and eyes locked and unable to pull away. Finally Jackie came to her senses and pulled her hand away from his as she walked over to the records again and began to sort through them.

"So…are you going to pay me for taking part in this inventory count?" She teased.

Hyde chuckled and turned back towards her to start helping her again, "I thought friends were supposed to help each other out without payment…"

She rolled her eyes and jotted down a few numbers on the paper in front of her. "Yeah…cheap friends. But I'm no cheap friend Steven…even if we haven't ever really been friends before you should know this about me."

He laughed and looked over at her, "Oh I know you aren't cheap…"

She looked over at him and smiled and then went back to her work. They worked along side each other and chatted about different things and fell into a comfortable groove once again. At first it felt strange after being estranged for so long but as the minutes ticked it on it became easier to fall back into the swing of things.

Neither of them knew what was going to happen next or if they would be able to remain just friends…but at the moment they were just grateful to be back in each others life at all.

Everything else would happen in time…for now they just wanted to enjoy each others company for as long as possible.

* * *

**So I hope you guys all enjoyed it :) Let me know and send in a review! I'll update sooner with the more reviews I get! **


	9. It's Hard To Get By On Just A Smile Girl

**Hey guys! I'm loving all the awesome feedback I'm getting from everyone and I hope it keeps on coming! Here is the next chapter, I really hope you like it! I enjoyed writing it.**

**Also, this doesn't really apply to this chapter but I thought it was important to say now. I don't really remember when exactly the episode was when Kelso proposed to Jackie like I mean as far as what season it was supposed to be. But for the sake of this story it was the end of summer so it is September now in the story okay? You'll get why I'm doing that later. Just thought I'd give you all a heads up so that no one messaged me and said I screwed up the timeline that was in the story because I know this one is probably off.**

**Anyway! Enjoy the chapter and send in a review after you read it! :) Thanks again! **

* * *

After agreeing to be friends, Jackie had hung out at Groove's and helped him clean up from the mess created by opening day. There had been a few uncomfortable moments when neither of them knew exactly what to say or how to act around each other. After all, they had never actually been friends before so this was all new to them and even more complicated than normal friendships considering their romantic history.

They had talked a few times on the phone and even met for dinner one night between Tacoma and Seattle. It was getting easier to talk to one another despite all the negative things that had happened between them in the past. Hyde was still a little skeptical about their current arrangement but made sure to hide that from Jackie.

He knew she would need to learn to trust him again if there was any hope of them getting back together in the future. It was difficult to try and pretend he didn't want anything more than to just be her friend but he figured it was better than not having her in his life at all. Besides, he was lucky she was even on speaking terms with him at the moment…

One afternoon he was restocking records after the lunch rush when he noticed a girl who had just walked in. She had dirty blonde short hair, was wearing a Zeppelin concert t, ripped jeans and a leather jacket. She looked like the female version of himself and it freaked him out for a moment and even more so when he saw she was walking straight towards him.

Something about this girl made him think that the following conversation wasn't going to be particularly friendly. He stood up and eyed her up and down for a moment trying to figure out if he had ever met her before.

"Can I help you?" He asked after a few moments of awkward silence.

She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "Are you Steven Hyde?"

He narrowed his eyes at her and took a deep breath, "Do I know you?"

"I'm a friend of Jackie's." She said quickly.

"Jackie Burkhart?" He asked curiously.

She nodded, "I'm her boss. And I have a few things I'd like to say to you."

"Oh really?" Hyde asked as he raised his eyebrow, "You don't even know me."

"Listen pal…" Anna said shoving Hyde back gently, "I know you and Jackie are friends now or whatever but if you hurt her again…you're going to deal with me."

Hyde was quiet for a moment trying to think about what she was saying, "Why do you even have an opinion on my relationship with Jackie? You don't know me and you've probably only known for Jackie for what like three weeks now?"

She rolled her eyes and scoffed, "It doesn't matter how long I've known her. I know guys like you…"

"No offense honey but you don't seem like the kind of girl who would be into guys if you know what I mean. So how do you even know what kind of guy you think I am?" He said knowing it was probably rude but he didn't like feeling attacked by a complete stranger.

"Well you're observant I'll give you that." She said shrugging as she started to laugh.

"I'm sorry…I shouldn't have said that." He said sighing as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

She shrugged again and shook her head, "Don't worry about it. I guess I came off a little aggressive there…"

Hyde stared at her for a moment before beginning to talk again, "A little…"

She was quiet for a moment, "I guess…I guess I just don't want to see Jackie hurt okay? I know you've obviously known her a lot longer than I have but from the little time I have known her I can tell she's different than most people. She's special…and she deserves to be treated better than she's gotten in the past."

Hyde nodded slowly and leaned up against counter behind him, "I know that. I made a lot of mistakes…a lot of stupid mistakes in my life especially when it came to Jackie. But I'm the last person that wants to see her hurt again…it kills me to see her like that."

Anna nodded slowly and sighed. "Alright then…"

Hyde thought about everything she had said in the last few moments before staring confused at her, "What the hell is your name anyway?"

Anna laughed and stuck her hand out for him to shake. "Oh right…names Anna Moyer, professional photographer and residential badass in this great state of Washington."

Hyde chuckled and shook her hand, "Well it's nice to meet you Anna. Names Steven Hyde but you can call me Hyde, owner of two record stores, and residential badass of the greater state of Wisconsin."

She pursed her lips and nodded slowly, "Then I guess we should get along just fine."

Hyde took his hand back and nodded, "I guess so."

Anna looked around the store and smirked, "Hey…nice shrine to Zeppelin." She said cocking her head towards the far off wall.

Hyde smiled with approval, "Well they are my one and only religion…I figured it was only fitting that I set up a place for people to worship them."

Anna laughed and turned back to him, "You aren't as easy to hate as I was hoping."

"You aren't the first person to feel that way…trust me." He said crossing his arms and shrugging his shoulders.

She rolled her eyes and stared at him for a moment, "So what's your plan?"

"What do you mean?" Hyde asked not wanting to really get into this with Anna no matter how cool she seemed, mostly because he wasn't sure what the hell his plan was anyway.

She laughed and shook her head; "Oh come on…Jackie told me about how you two have agreed to just be friends now. And even though I just met you…I don't believe you are totally okay with that."

"Not to be rude again…but like I said before…you don't know much about me or my relationship with Jackie for that matter." He said feeling defensive again.

"Look all I'm saying is…" Anna began with a sigh, "Just be careful…"

"Right. I know…you want me to make sure I don't hurt her again and I won't." And he really meant what he said, he knew that if he got her back he wouldn't let her go again.

She nodded slowly, "You're right...I don't think you will hurt her. But honestly…I was talking more about you. You're the one that should be careful."

He narrowed his eyes and tried to suppress a laugh, "Okay now you're talking crazy. What do you mean I should be careful?"

Anna sighed, "I know girls like Jackie okay? I know she loves you…it's obvious. But I also know that when girls like Jackie get hurt…and I mean really hurt…they get plagued by fear."

"Anna seriously what are you talking about?" He asked rolling his eyes.

"Jackie wants to be friends with you because she doesn't know how to not have you in her life at all. She likes having you around…and I think deep down she does want to be with you. But…" She shrugged her shoulders and said gently, "She's probably not going to let you in so easily again and I don't want you to get hurt or angry if she starts dating someone else."

Hyde tensed at her words as he thought about what she was saying. He tried to picture her with another man and not only did it make his blood boil and want to punch the guys lights out, but he also felt his heart cracking into a million little pieces.

"Is she seeing someone?" He asked wondering if she was ready to date someone else already or not.

"No. Not that I know of." She said shaking her head, "But…it could happen. So…you just need to make sure you know what you've gotten yourself into."

Hyde realized that what she was saying made a lot of sense. The moment Jackie walked into his store on opening day, he had made the assumption that they were gong to get back together. Even when she had said she wanted to just be friends…he told himself it would only be temporary.

But what if she did meet someone else? God knows there were plenty of guys out there who would be better suited for Jackie. And…there were even more guys that would be interested in her and start to ask her out soon.

How would he handle it if he saw her with another guy? Would he be able to act zen and just accept that they were just friends? Or would he freak out and pummel the guy for touching what he thought was rightfully his?

He knew he couldn't stake any claim on her, he was the one that had married someone else. Yes she had made her own mistakes but she had made it very clear that they probably could have worked things out if he had just asked Sam to leave right away.

Unfortunately he couldn't change the past no matter how many times he wished he could. So now here he was, stuck between a rock and a hard place and with no real way out. He could go along with the just friends bit and enjoy just having her back in his life at all. Or…he could tell her how he really felt and run the risk of losing her all over again.

He knew deep down it was way to early to try and make a move again. It was obvious to him that not only was she not ready for that big of a step, but really they weren't ready as a couple yet either. He didn't want to push her away now that he had her but he honestly didn't know how he would react to seeing her with another man.

Or maybe he did…

It would probably look a lot like how he reacted to seeing Kelso in a towel in the hotel room…and quite frankly wasn't that how they got in this horrible mess in the first place?

* * *

Later that night, Jackie had just taken a shower after a long day at work. Anna and her had had a photo shoot in the morning and than Anna had asked her to organize and sort photos back at the store while she ran a few errands. Jackie had wanted to go with her because shopping was after all her most favorite activity, but Anna said she really needed her help taking care of things back at the store for them. And since she loved her new job so much she agreed to do what she had been asked.

Now she was looking forward to a quiet night at home with a good movie and take out from her favorite Italian restaurant down the street. She had just curled up on the couch ready to relax for the rest of the night when the phone on the end table began to ring.

She picked it up and put it to her ear, "Hello?"

"Is it safe to try and talk to you again?" A nervous Red Forman asked on the other end of the phone.

She laughed before answering, "Hello Red. I guess I forgot to call you back after our little chat last week."

Red sighed, "Yeah you did. And I figured I'd give you some time to cool off but after a week of not hearing from you I got a littler nervous."

"Well I'm sorry Red. I'm not angry anymore if that's what you are worried about. I've just been so busy I forgot to call." She said honestly.

Red was quiet for a moment before he spoke up again, "So how are you doing then? Did you end up talking to Steven?"

"Yeah. He came by my apartment…and we fought a little. But then I went to the opening of the new Groove's and we talked some more. We agreed to just try and be friends for the time being and so far it seems to be going well." She said as she reached for the glass of wine she had poured for herself.

Red was surprised by her comment but knew better than to press her on the matter to far, "You and Steven as friends huh? Interesting concept."

She laughed again and reached for her plate of food, "I suppose it is. But I think this could be a good thing. I mean…we never really were friends. We just had mutual friends…and then we started dating so there was no in-between. I think we could be good friends."

"I'm sure you could be good friends. You obviously both really care about each other a lot which is important for friends. I'm just surprised you are able to be so civil with each other after everything you've been through." Red said.

Jackie sighed and snuggled further onto the couch, "Well I won't say it's always easy…I mean it's only been a week so far but there have been a few times when I've felt really uneasy about the situation. I guess it will just take some time to really get past our issues and focus on our friendship."

"You've only been gone for a month now and you already sound incredibly mature compared to how you left." He teased but also meant what he said.

She felt the smile grow on her face, "Well I really like it out here Red. And even though I wasn't expecting to have Steven out here…it's actually kind of nice to have a familiar face around from time to time. Makes me a little less homesick…"

Red was quiet for a moment before he spoke again, "Speaking of home…the rest of your friends back here really miss you. When are you going to start to talk to them again?"

She bit her lip and tried to keep the tears from spilling out of her eyes, "I know…I do feel bad about how I've been neglecting them."

"You should give them all a call." Red suggested, "I mean…if you can talk to Steven after everything you two have been through…the rest of them should be a piece of cake right?"

She smiled and sighed, "I guess you're right. I'll have to give them a call this week."

"Do you promise? Because I can't stand one more minute of the foreign one's crying. I might actually put my foot in his ass after threatening to do that to someone for all these damn years!" Red said aggravated.

Jackie chuckled, "You have threatened that a lot and to be honest I've always wanted to kind of see you actually attempt it. I think it would be rather humorous as long as it wasn't me on the receiving end of it."

"Oh please Jackie…we both know out of all my moronic son's friends you are the last person I would do that too." He said honestly.

She smiled as she felt her heart warm and a sudden rush of homesickness rushed through her. "Yeah…I've always been your favorite huh?"

"Yup. You are the least annoying and you know what it is you want so you don't pussy foot around like the others. You go after your dreams and you don't take crap from anyone…at least not usually." He said trailing off.

"Except for the last few months you mean." She said frowning slightly thinking about how she allowed everyone to walk all over her after Sam showed up.

"Well…you were in a pretty crappy position Jackie. Don't beat yourself up too much. Besides…you made up for it by sticking to your ground and moving out of Point Place to make something more of your life. I know I've said it a few times already but I really am proud of you." He said sincerely.

"Well thank you Red…that means a lot to me. More than you could possibly realize." She said with tears welling up in her eyes.

"Yeah yeah…don't start crying on me Jackie. I've dealt with enough tears since you left to created a whole other ocean." He said, a hint of a grumble was present in his voice.

Jackie wiped her tears away and laughed, "Okay I won't cry. And I promise to give everyone a call back home this week. Okay?"

"I'm going to hold you to that." Red said sternly, "If Tanto shows up on my doorstep one more tight at midnight crying about how lonely he is…I will not be able to be held responsible for my actions."

She laughed just as she heard a knock on the door and she sat up, "Okay. Okay I get it! They miss me. I'll call them." She stood up and walked towards the door, "But there is someone knocking on my door. Can I call you back tomorrow?"

"Sure kid. Enjoy your night. I'm glad to hear that you aren't mad at me anymore." He said honestly.

She smiled, "I could never stay mad at you Red. Have a goodnight."

When she heard him hang up the phone, she put her own phone down on the receiver again. The person at the door knocked again and she walked quickly over to answer it figuring it was just Liz wanting to hang out for a bit. However, she was surprised to see Hyde on the other side of the door.

Even though they had agreed to be friends, she felt that they had some unspoken agreement that they were going to take this slowly. There were still a lot of things she had to think about and really learn to forgive him for so she wasn't sure how she felt about seeing him here at her apartment again.

She almost thought about asking him to leave and telling him to call her next time he wanted to hang out, but something in his expression made her feel like at this moment he needed a friend. And as much as she wanted to protect herself, she could never stand to see Hyde in pain and knew she would give in before he even stepped in the door.

"Steven…" She whispered, "What are you doing here?"

He took a deep breath and stared at her for a moment, she was in a pair of lose fitting sweat pants and an old t-shirt. Her hair was down but clearly still wet from a shower and she had no make up.

She had never looked more beautiful to him…

"Hey Jacks…" He whispered as he shoved his hands nervously in his pockets, "I know it's getting kind of late and I probably shouldn't have just shown up like this…"

She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned up against the door frame as she studied his expression some more, he looked sad. "Steven…are you okay?"

He sighed again and took his sunglasses off and hooked them on the front of his shirt. He wanted to tell her about his meeting with Anna today and how she had tried to warn him about his relationship with Jackie. He wanted to tell her that he was so happy she was back in his life but he didn't want to just be her friend anymore. He wanted to be able to walk into the room, pull her up against him and kiss her with everything he had in him.

Quite frankly he wanted a lot of things that he knew he couldn't have at this moment because of the mistakes he had made in the past. He knew if he did any of those things she would yell and scream and kick him out. And he knew she had every right to get upset but he wanted her to be happy again.

He wanted to be the reason for that beautiful smile of hers to show up on her face like he once had been. And now all he could think about was the possibility that some other guy was going to take his place and he would lose her forever.

That was something he definitely couldn't be able to live with.

"I uh…I'm just having a weird day and I was feeling kind of home sick." He shrugged and looked at her softly, "I guess I just wanted to see a familiar face."

She frowned slightly and stared at him some more, "You drove all the way out here just to see a familiar face?"

He smiled softly and shrugged, "Do you miss it?"

She shifted her weight to one leg and narrowed her eyes, "Miss what? Point Place?" He nodded his head slowly and she shrugged, "Yeah…sometimes."

He pursed his lips and nodded as he looked down at his shoes, "I mean I like it out here. Seattle's pretty awesome and I like the band scene…the stores doing well for the first week of it being open."

"But you miss your friends…" She whispered never taking her eyes off of him.

Hyde nodded and looked back up at her, "Something like that…"

She thought about all the reasons she should tell him to go home before finally giving in and stepping aside. "Want to come in?"

His heart leaped in his chest as he stepped into her apartment and waited until she shut the door and led him over to the living room. They sat down rather awkwardly next to each other on the couch and sat in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes before she cleared her throat and turned towards him.

"I was just going to hang out and watch a movie or TV or something. Do you want to stay?" She asked trying to ignore the screaming in her head that this was a absolutely terrible idea.

He nodded and licked his lips before responding, "That would be cool."

She nodded quickly and then stood up again and quickly walked over to the fridge. When she came back she handed him a beer and took up her glass of wine before settling into her seat again. She reached for the clicker and flipped on the TV and started moving through the channels trying to find something to watch.

She looked over at him out of the corner of her eye as she did this and saw the distant look in his eyes again. "So uh…have you talked much to everyone back home since you've been out here?"

He shrugged, "Mrs. Forman pretty much calls everyday if not two to three times a day just to make sure I'm eating the right food and getting plenty of rest."

Jackie laughed and shook her head as she continued to flip through the channels, "She must be going crazy now that the house is empty of all her kids."

He smiled softly, "Yeah I guess so. Although Red says he thinks Eric will be coming home soon."

"Oh really?" She asked turning her attention towards him, "How does Donna feel about that?"

"OH she says they are over and that she doesn't care if he comes back or not." He said rolling his eyes, "But we all know the second he gets home they will get back together."

She smiled and nodded before turning back to the TV, "Yeah…they probably will. They are definitely made for each other."

Hyde looked over at her and noticed she was biting her lip, something she often did when she was nervous or trying not to cry. "Yeah…they are lucky to have found each other…"

She looked at him quickly before turning back to the TV again feeling the tears burn even more in the back of her eyes. "Mhm…"

Hyde could tell she was starting to get uncomfortable and he didn't want to upset her. There were obviously things that still needed to be said, things he wanted desperately to say but it was obvious that now wasn't the right time.

"I uh…I've talked to Fez a few times and he made me talk to Kelso for a few minutes last time he called." Hyde said turning back to the TV to avoid watching her sad face.

"Made you talk to him?" She asked curiously as she turned back to him and raised an eyebrow curious about his statement.

Hyde shrugged, "Kelso's my friend and all but I think lately things have been weird between us. I guess I'm just trying to distance myself from him a little.

Jackie couldn't' help but frown at this statement, Michael and Steven had been best friends for as long as she could remember. She hated that their friendship was strained and she hated even more that she knew it was her fault.

"Do you think things could ever be okay between you two again?" She asked hopefully.

For a minute, Hyde couldn't help but feel jealous as he noticed the concern in her voice. The fact that that concern had showed up when he was talking about Kelso didn't sit well with him. He knew nothing happened between Jackie and Kelso in that hotel room in Chicago…but he couldn't seem to erase the image of Kelso in a towel or the image of him proposing to her with the ring he had bought her.

Why couldn't he get over his stupid jealousy of Kelso damnit? It was obviously the one thing that really drove him and Jackie apart and he still couldn't let it go even though he knew Jackie didn't want Kelso.

"I don't know…" He whispered softly.

There were the three words in the English language that Jackie Burkhart hated more than anything else. They had signaled so many bad things that had happened in her relationship with Steven and she couldn't help but worry it was a sign of bad things to still come…

"You've been friends with Michael a long time Steven…" She whispered to him, never taking her eyes off of him. "I'd hate to see you throw your friendship away just because of…"

She stopped midsentence and turned her head away from him feeling her cheeks burn with embarrassment. No…she couldn't bring up all that bad stuff right now. She didn't have the strength to talk about it anymore…

Even though she hadn't finished her sentence, Hyde knew what she was going to say. He continued to stare at the side of her face as he watched her begin to bite her lip again sensing her nervousness.

"There's more than just that stuff I think…" He said making a point to not directly say what she had been thinking. "I guess I'm just ready to grow up and do something with my life and I feel like Kelso still just wants to goof around ya know?"

He nodded but didn't turn her head towards him again, "Yeah I guess you're right…"

"I mean sure…I miss hanging out in the basement with everyone and being stupid. I miss circle time and bumming around town getting into trouble…" He shrugged and sighed, "But…it couldn't go on like that forever right?"

She slowly turned her head towards him again and shook her head sadly, "No. I guess not…"

"We're all grown ups now and its time we start acting like it." He said shrugging.

"But…that doesn't mean we can't still have fun form time to time." She tried to reason with him.

He nodded quickly, "No it doesn't…"

"And…" She trailed off sadly, "It doesn't mean we have to stop being friends with the people we care about most."

Hyde let her statement hang in the air for a moment before responding, "I guess that's true too…"

She sighed and turned her attention back to the TV finally settling on an old rerun of the Mary Tyler Moore Show. "All I'm saying is…I'd hate for you to cut Michael off completely and then wake up one day and realize what a good friendship you actually threw away. Because despite everything…you guys did have some pretty good times together."

"You're right…we did." He whispered making it a point to stare at nothing but the TV just like she was doing.

"And I figured…if you and I are willing to look past everything and try to be friends…" She paused and shrugged before turning back to him again, "Then there's no reason that you and Michael shouldn't be able to be friends still too."

For some reason, he couldn't help but feel that there was more than just worrying about his and Michael's friendship that was bothering Jackie. Maybe she was afraid if he couldn't forgive Kelso for everything, he wouldn't 'be able to forgive her.

But the truth of the matter was that all the things that happened between Kelso, Jackie and himself…he blamed Kelso and himself for. None of it was ever Jackie's fault in his opinion, not really.

Kelso had been her first boyfriend; it was only natural for her to have lingering feelings for him. The whole "Get off my boyfriend" was proof of that. And yeah it had hurt…but he knew that Jackie never meant to hurt him.

Just like he knew that she had tried to push Kelso away at Donna's house that afternoon when he saw them together. But Jackie was a good person and an even better friend and would always be there for the people she cared about. She didn't have the heart to let Kelso down because everyone knew he was like a big dumb puppy dog who needed attention…

And it was his fault that he had cheated on her, he should have confronted her about the incident but he didn't.

And yes…maybe she shouldn't have given him an ultimatum…she had already apologized for that. But it wasn't her fault that Kelso was a moron and once again could only think about sex and threw himself at her in the hotel room.

Kelso knew what he had been doing…just like Hyde knew what he had been doing when he cheated on Jackie both times and married Sam. He was finally starting to realize that Jackie was pretty innocent in all of this and it made him feel even more guilty.

"Look Jackie…" He started, "I don't want you to worry about my relationship with Kelso okay? We'll work it out when its time. Okay?"

She stared at him for a moment, trying to decide if she believed him or not before she answered. "Okay…"

"Good…" He whispered as he crossed his arms over his chest and threw his feet up on the table as he eyed her plate of food, "So uh…you gonna eat that or what?"

Jackie laughed, feeling the awkward tension starting to ease a little. She lifted herself up off the couch and went to get another fork before sitting back down next to him. He watched her lift the plate up and hold it between them and handed him a fork.

He smiled as she pushed the plate towards him, "We can share. If I eat too much of it I'll ruin my perfect figure." She said teasingly.

He just chuckled and picked up a meatball with his fork, "You weigh 95 pounds Jackie…I think you can afford to add a few more on that body of yours."

She rolled her eyes and took another meatball on the plate, "Whatever burnout."

"Hey watch it…" He said through a mouthful of food, "If we're going to be friends you're going to have to start being nice to me missy…"

She smile innocently and reached for her glass wine, "Okay fine…I'm sorry." She leaned back on the couch and took a sip before muttering. "Stoner loser…"

"Ice princess…" He muttered back to her pretending to be angry.

"Uh!" She scoffed turning back to him with fire in her eyes, "Take it back!"

"Not gonna happen unless you take the things you said back." He said glaring right back at her.

"Fine. I'm sorry." She said rolling her eyes.

"Oh cuz that was so convincing…" He said chuckling to himself as he grabbed for his beer.

"Fine then I don't take it back!" She said turning back to the TV.

"Well then neither do I…" He said taking a swig of his beer and smiling at her smugly.

She huffed and grabbed the plate of food out of his free hand, "Fine…then go get your own food. I'm not sharing."

Hyde groaned and crossed his arms over his chest and pretended to ignore her. They sat in silence as they watched TV for a few moments as Jackie munched happily on her dinner.

But soon the silence was interrupted by the rumbling of Steven's stomach and Jackie caved. "Oh fine you big baby….you can share."

"I knew I'd break you down…" He said grabbing the plate from her again.

She rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile at the playful banter they had been able to reignite between them. It felt really good to have him by her side, even just as a friend…

She had really missed Steven Hyde…

* * *

**So what did you think? I hope you all liked it. I will try and update very soon and like I always say...the more reviews I get the more motivated I am to write! Hope you are all doing well :) **


	10. I'll Always Remember You

**Hey guys! Sorry it took so long to update! But I've been sick all week adn haven't had the strength to write anything. But here is the next chapter and I hope you all like it and will review! I need the reviews to know I should keep going :) **

* * *

Two weeks later, Hyde and Jackie were finally starting to get into the swing of things as friends. They talked at night on the phone and visited each other when they had time when they weren't working. One Sunday afternoon at the end of September, Hyde was coming to visit Jackie in Tacoma for the day.

She was twirling around in her bedroom admiring her new fall outfit when she heard someone knocking on the door. She quickly ran out of her room and smiled when she saw Hyde on the other side.

"Right on time." She said with a beaming smile up at him.

His heart skipped a beat and he tried to keep cool, "Well last time I was late you made me listen to The Captain and Tennille all day." He said rolling his eyes. "Last time I make that mistake…"

Jackie scoffed and put her hand on her hip, "Steven…the Captain and Tennille are musical geniuses'. How many times to I have to tell you that?"

"Let's not have this fight again okay? I actually want to enjoy this afternoon for once." He said rolling his eyes.

She pouted and leaned against the doorframe, "For once? Don't you like spending time with me?"

He knew she was testing him but he couldn't resist the pout no matter how hard he tried, "Jackie…" She pouted even more and he sighed, "You know I like spending time with you. I was just kidding,…"

Her frown quickly turned into a smile and she clapped her hands, "Of course you do! I'm fabulous." She turned her back on him and grabbed her bag and coat, "You ready to go?"

"Sure." Hyde said as he stepped aside to let her walk out of the apartment, "Where are we going today anyway?"

"Anna asked me to take some pictures of Tacoma so I could start getting used to using the camera she gave me." She said as she locked up the door, "So we're gonna go around and see what we can take pictures of!"

He followed her towards the elevator and then grimaced, "I don't have to model or anything do I?"

She giggled as she stepped into the elevator, "We'll see…"

"No way…" Hyde said as he stepped into the elevator with her, "I am not about to model for any pictures Jackie. That ain't me…" He said pointing at her threateningly.

"Oh but Steven you'd make such a good model." She said sighing; "You have such a good jaw line for profile shots!"

"I do not and take it back." He said as he crossed his arms and glared at her.

She scoffed again and tossed her hair over her shoulder, "You're such a spoil sport Steven."

"I'd rather be a spoil sport than a model." He said as they stepped out into the lobby and out the front door of the apartment.

"Whatever." She said as they walked down the street together, "So I talked to Donna yesterday…" She started.

Hyde turned to look at her as they walked along the sidewalk; her statement surprised him. Out of all of their friends, Donna had been the last person Jackie had decided to contact. She knew that Donnas' friendship with Sam had really hurt Jackie and she was having a hard time letting her old friend back in.

"You did?" He asked as she nodded her head quickly, "How'd that go?"

She shrugged, "I mean…it was okay I guess. Kind of awkward…"

"I'm sure that she was happy to hear from you." Hyde said as they continued to walk, "Last time I talked to her she got really upset that you had called everyone but her since you left…"

Jackie sighed and pulled her jacket around her tighter, "Well…we haven't had much to talk about lately. We've just kind of drifted apart you know? But I figured I couldn't ignore her forever…"

Hyde was quiet for a moment before he whispered, "You know…you should blame me more for the whole Sam thing…Donna never would have been friends with her if I hadn't brought her into everyone's life."

Jackie didn't know what to say at first, it was almost like they had an unspoken agreement not to mention Sam's name. So for him to say her name now…she knew he must be feeling pretty bad about the situation.

"Yeah but…she didn't have to completely ignore me the way she did." She said shrugging again, "I know she was hurt by Eric leaving but I tried to be there for her and she completely threw me to the curb…"

"Maybe it was easier to be friends with Sam because being friends with you reminded her of the way things used to be…" Hyde whispered.

Jackie looked over at him quickly with a curious expression on her face, "Is that why you stayed with her?"

He was taken aback by her question for a moment and wasn't sure how to answer it, "Maybe…"

She thought about responding but didn't want to make things awkward right now. They had been doing so well as friends lately and she didn't want to ruin it by bringing up the past, which would most likely lead to a fight of some sort. So instead, she was quiet for a few moments before changing the subject completely.

"Anyway…Donna told me that Mrs. Forman tried to take in a foster child." She said with a smirk on her face.

Hyde chuckled as he felt the tension ease between them, "Yeah. Red called and chewed my ear off for about an hour and said he would give me all the money he had in the bank if I just came home."

She smiled, "She misses you and Eric…"

Hyde nodded, "I guess so. But Eric will be back soon…"

"Well we both know she misses you more than Eric." Jackie teased as she nudged Hyde with her elbow. "Eric's to spindly…"

Hyde laughed again and shrugged, "That is true. But you know Eric is her real kid. She loves him more."

Jackie was quiet for a moment before responding, "You're her real son too Steven. You may not be her son by blood…but she loves you just the same as Eric."

He cocked his head to the side and stared at her, "You think so?"

She smiled as she linked her arm with his sending tingles up his spine at the contact, "I know so Steven. Mrs. Forman loves you…she didn't have to take you in but she did. She would do anything for you just like she would do anything for Eric."

"And don't forget Laurie…" He said reminding Jackie about the Forman's oldest child.

Jackie grimaced and shook her head, "Well…let's be honest…Mrs. Forman would pick you over Laurie if she had too."

Hyde chuckled, "She loves Laurie in her own way…"

"I guess so. She is her daughter after all." Jackie said softly.

Hyde knew underneath that Jackie wished her mother felt the same way about her despite everything they had been through. "You know you're Mom and Dad love you Jackie…"

She smiled sadly, "Well they have a funny way of showing it then…"

"Yeah well…so did Bud and Edna." He said with a frustrated chuckle.

"At least you have the Forman's…" She said holding onto his arm tighter trying to ward off the cool fall air and suddenly feeling very alone.

Hyde was quiet for a moment; he knew how lonely and insecure she often felt. It was part of the reason she had so desperately wanted a commitment from him. She had been alone her whole life and had always been left by the people she loved most and counted on.

He hated that he was lumped together with Jack and Pam Burkhart in that category…

"You know they love you too. Especially Red." He whispered to her patting her hand that was wrapped around his arm.

Jackie smiled, "I guess…"

They continued to walk along together before Hyde nervously cleared his throat and said almost so softly Jackie wasn't sure if she heard him. "I know things are kind of weird between us still…but I'm here for you. Okay? You're not alone…"

She let his words linger in the air between them for a moment before she smiled and whispered back, "I like being friends with you…"

Hyde smiled as she held his arm tighter and couldn't help but think they were heading in the right direction. It felt so damn good to have her this close to him again. It would be even better if he could pull her all the way to him and kiss him, but he would take what he could get for now because he was pretty damn lucky she was letting him back in at all…

* * *

Thirty minutes later they were walking around the harbor as Jackie snapped photos of different things. Hyde admired the way she was so focused when she was taking a picture. He loved the way she would scrunch up her nose and bite her lip to make sure she was focused just right and how excited she would get when she found something else to take a picture of.

He didn't even mind that she was dragging him by the hand from place to place as she took roll after roll of film. She was just finishing up taking a few pictures of an old couple walking hand in hand by the water when he started to wander off towards the water.

It was a cool fall day but the sun was still shining over the harbor and he was enjoying the view. It was so much different here than back at Point Place and he was really starting to enjoy his life out here in Washington.

Jackie had just turned to ask him a question when she noticed him walking away. She couldn't help but be mesmerized by the way he moved, the way his tight jean jacket clung to his muscles perfectly. His hands were in his pockets as he walked along the dock and stared out at the ocean.

Hoping he wouldn't notice, she quickly lifted the camera and started to take pictures of him. He seemed to be thinking hard about something because he didn't notice her at all as she continued to snap away. She also could tell he was concentrating because his lips were in a straight line as if they were pressed together tightly which he always did when he was thinking hard.

She just wished he didn't have those damn sunglasses on because she knew his eyes would photograph so beautifully. She could get lost into hose blue eyes of his; it was the one thing she noticed about him first when they were younger. He had always just been one of Michael's friends who didn't like her before she saw him without his sunglasses on for the first time.

But when she finally came face to face with those eyes, she started to see there was more to Steven Hyde then just the stoner Zen master who hid away in the Forman's basement. She learned so much about him every time she had the privilege of seeing his eyes when they were together.

He used to hate it when they were dating when she would beg him to take his sunglasses off when they were alone together. He would get so damn uncomfortable when she would stare directly into his eyes but she couldn't help it. She just got lost in them…and they made her feel at home for once in her life.

She remembered when he showed up at the hotel room in Chicago and Kelso was there in a towel. She had felt that if he hadn't had those damn sunglasses off and she could really look in his eyes he would have known nothing was going on. She had always felt they were connected, especially when they looked each other in the eye. It was like they knew what the other person was thinking and she missed that…

He turned towards her just in time for her to snap a picture of his whole face, which made her heart jump a beat until she noticed the grimace on his face. "Damnit Jackie…I said no pictures!"

She giggled and put her camera down and walked back over to him, "I promise no one will ever see them."

He smirked at her as she walked closer to him, "What are you going to keep a secret stash of pictures of me in your apartment to stare at every night?"

She rolled her eyes. "You wish Steven. I'm just trying to get a hang of this photography thing. I think I could be good at it if I really try."

He smiled at her, "Jackie…you're good at everything."

She laughed and put her hands on her hips. "You're just trying to get on my good side by complimenting me mister…"

He laughed and shook his head, "That's not why I said that. You can do anything you put your mind to Jackie. I mean it…you've never given yourself enough credit for things…"

Her smile faded slightly and she shrugged, "I was always told I would only be good at making a good trophy wife…I never really thought I had to do anything else."

He sighed and shook his head, "Jackie when are you going to realize you are more than just a pretty face?"

The smile started to grow on her face again, "You think I'm pretty?"

He rolled his eyes, "That's all you got out of what I just said?"

She laughed and shrugged as she looked down and kicked at the wood of the deck, "I want to believe I can be something…but I feel like I always find a way to screw things up. Especially things I really want and like…"

He knew what she really meant but he didn't know how to respond to that, it was better to not discuss their relationship at this point in time. "Things don't always work out. But look at how far you've come in this short amount of time Jackie…look what you've accomplished all on your own since you moved out here…"

She heard the sincerity in his voice and she felt her heart leap in her chest as she looked back up at him, "I have been trying really hard…"

He nodded his head, "I know you have. And I also know things haven't really turned out the way you expected them too…with me showing up here and all." He said shrugging. "But you haven't given up and I admire you for that."

Her cheeks flushed quickly and she blinked a few times, "You know…I thought about packing up again and taking off and not telling anyone where I was going. Not even Red."

"Why didn't you?" He asked curiously.

She sighed and shoved her hands in her pockets, "I don't know…I mean I definitely didn't have the money for it. But also…there is something about this place that makes me feel like I'm supposed to be here."

He nodded his head slowly and gave her a small smile, "Well I'm glad you didn't leave…"

She smiled and linked her arm with his again as they started to walk along the water together again. They were definitely getting the hang of this friendship thing again…

* * *

The next evening, Jackie was in the dark room with Anna developing the rolls of film she had taken the day before. Jackie was standing back anxiously as she watched Anna work because she really wanted the pictures to come out good.

She was biting her nails and tapping her foot quickly as Anna hung up all the photos on the line. Each picture she lifted up was better than the last and she was beginning to feel a sense of pride in her work. And then when Anna started to take out the pictures of Hyde, her heart started to do flip flop in her chest.

Without even realizing it, she started to walk towards the Anna to take a better look at the pictures in the dark. These were by far her favorite pictures so far even if Steven didn't want to model for them they came out great.

She smiled up at them and it didn't go unnoticed by Anna, "Candid photos are always the best…" She whispered to Jackie.

Jackie looked over at her friend and smiled, "He was pissed when he realized I was taking pictures of him." She said laughing slightly as she looked back at the photo.

"Jackie these came out really great. I think you could definitely start helping me out at events." She said as she went to flip on the lights.

Jackie's smile grew as she continued to stare at the picture of Steven, "That would be awesome Anna! Thank you!"

Anna walked up behind Jackie and stared at the picture of Hyde again before looking back at her friend, "So how is the whole friendship thing going for you two?"

Never taking her eyes off of the photo she smiled, "It's actually going really well. We've been able to fall into a comfortable place together…I like it."

"It's not awkward at all?" Anna asked curiously as she hopped up on the counter.

Jackie shrugged her shoulders and turned towards her, "Every now and then it can be…but for the most part it feels good to have him in my life again. It feels almost natural to be friends…he makes me laugh and he gives me that sense of home when I'm feeling homesick which is nice."

Anna nodded slowly and turned away from her to look at the pictures, "Good…"

Jackie noticed something in Anna's voice that made her think she didn't think it was as 'good' as she said it was. "What are you thinking?"

Anna looked back at her and shook her head. "Nothing."

Jackie sighed and hopped up on the counter beside her, "You are a terrible liar Anna. What is it?"

For some reason Anna had not told Jackie about how she had gone to meet Hyde at the record store. And it was obvious that he hadn't mentioned it either to her and now didn't seem like the right time to bring it up. She didn't think Jackie would care that much but she also didn't want her to think she was overstepping her boundaries since they hadn't know each other that long.

"I just want to make sure you are making the right decisions with this whole friendship with Hyde thing." Anna said shrugging her shoulders.

"Anna I appreciate your concern but you don't know Steven and I. I think it's smart for us to just be friends right now." Jackie said shrugging, "It's something we never did before and we need to learn to be friends before we can figure out if we have a future together."

"But that's the thing…" Anna whispered, "Do you want a future with him?"

Jackie was quiet for a moment, trying to think about what her friend was saying. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…do you want to be with Hyde in the future? Can you see yourself forgiving him for everything that happened and getting back together?" She asked curiously.

"I…" She paused and sighed, "To be honest I don't really know…"

"I don't want to upset you or anything but I just fee like you both are expecting different things out of this friendship." Anna said shrugging.

Jackie stared at her starting to feel anger rise in her, "How do you know? You don't even know Steven…"

Now would have been a good time to tell her she had met him but still, she couldn't seem to do it. "No I guess I don't. But you told me and Liz that when he came to your apartment that first time he made it very clear that he still ahs strong feelings for you didn't he?"

"Yeah so?" Jackie asked defensively, "He hasn't' said anything about feelings since we started being friends again. At least not really."

"All I'm saying is I don't want to see either of you get hurt here." Anna said sighing trying to avoid a fight that was already brewing.

"How would either of us get hurt if we are just friends?" Jackie asked.

"Because what if he wants more and is just trying to get you to trust him again? What if you meet someone else and it devastates him?" Anna asked shrugging, "Or what if he tries to tell you how he really feels and you freak out and run again?"

Jackie scoffed and hopped down from the counter and started to walk away, "You don't know what you are talking about Anna. Steven knows that we are just friends right now."

"Right now..." Anna whispered, "Can you honestly tell me he isn't expecting to get back together in the future?"

"Why do we have to talk about the future? Things are going well right now. Why can't we just live in the moment?" Jackie asked.

"Wasn't that how you guys ran into problems before?" Anna tried to point out, "He didn't want to talk about the future so you didn't, and then when the future was at your door it broke everything."

Deep down, Jackie knew that what Anna was saying made sense but she didn't want to think about losing Steven again. She loved being his friend even if she sometimes worried about what was going to happen in the future. She was sure he expected more for them as their friendship grew and it scared her to death.

She didn't think she was quite ready to take that next step again if it came down to it. She didn't know if she could trust him as more than just a friend anymore. But did that mean she wanted to be alone forever? She couldn't imagine how Hyde would react to her starting to date someone else…that would ruin their friendship more than anything else.

But she didn't want to think about any of that right now…

"You don't know what you are talking about." Jackie said shaking her head as she turned to look for her bag, "You don't know Steven…and you've only known me for a little while."

"Yeah that's true but I'm just trying to look out for you." Anna said sighing hating to see that this fight was escalating.

"I really don't feel like you should be giving me advice on relationships Anna." Jackie said turning back to her angrily, "I mean I know that your relationship with Alyssa didn't work out but you said you haven't been on a date sine her."

Anna pursed her lips and she was quiet for a moment trying to ignore the ache in her chest at Jackie's words, "It's hard to lose the love of your life Jackie…you don't just bounce right back into dating."

Jackie put her hands on her hips and nodded, "You think I don't know that? I know how much it hurts to lose the person you love most Anna. That's why I'm so grateful to have Steven back in my life at all…even just as friend. And yes…it is kind of complicated but you don't get a say in this."

"I'm just trying to protect you." Anna said sincerely, "I don't want you to be mad at me…but I don't want to see this blow up in your face again. You've seemed too much happier lately and that's great! But I don't' want to see you go down that dark road again…"

"You don't know how I felt after Steven and I broke up Anna. You don't know what it was like. You don't know Steven…and you don't know me as well as you may think." She said shaking her head, "I appreciate the concern but this is my decision. If I want to just be Steven's friend…then we will just be friends. End of story."

Anna let her words linger in the air for a moment before responding. "Okay…I'm sorry that I upset you. But just think about this…would you be getting this upset if you didn't think I was right?"

Now Jackie's heart was pounding in her chest and she just wanted to run, "Stop it! Stop trying to ruin this for me!"

"I'm not trying to ruin anything for you Jackie! I just want you to be realistic about this!" Anna said getting frustrated and upset.

Jackie took a deep breath as the tears burned in the back of her eyes and she huffed, "You don't know how long I've waited to finally feel actually happy with my life. I've been hanging on by a thin thread for so long and now I'm actually starting to figure it all out and you're ruining this."

"Jackie just think about it okay? Stop getting so angry at me…I'm just trying to look out for you here." Anna said sighing.

Jackie shook her head; "I don't want to talk about this anymore…" She said finally finding her bag and grabbing it.

"Come on…don't leave like this." Anna said trying to walk towards her, "I don't want you to be angry at me."

"I'm not angry…" Jackie said wiping her tears away. "Because like you said…I know you're right." She whispered as she walked towards the door.

"Jackie…" Anna whispered unsure of what to say now.

Jackie smiled sadly, "We don't have to work tomorrow, right? I'll see you Wednesday at the shoot at the park."

"Are we okay?" Anna asked stepping towards her again.

Jackie nodded slowly as she tried to hold in her tears, "We're fine Anna…don't worry about it."

Anna didn't say anything more as Jackie walked out of the dark room leaving Anna alone. Maybe she had overstepped her boundaries, but she thought she had to say those things just as she did to Hyde. Yeah she didn't know either of them as well as their other friends…but she did worry that this was going down a dangerous path that neither of them would be prepared for.

* * *

Without even realizing it, Jackie ended up driving all the way to Seattle and was at Hyde's apartment. She had only been there for a few minutes at a time when she went to Seattle to hang out with him at different points. She didn't know if this was a good idea to go to him, and she knew she wasn't going to tell him why she was upset. But all she knew was at this moment…she needed a friend, a real friend who would comfort her.

It was pouring rain as she ran up to his apartment and she was soaking wet when's eh got to his door. Hyde opened the door, and was shocked to see a dripping wet Jackie standing on the other side.

"Jacks? What the hell?" He asked taking in her appearance.

She whimpered, "I'm sorry to just show up like this but I just…I got into a horrible fight with Anna and I didn't know where else to go."

Hyde quickly pulled her into the apartment and went to grab a towel to wrap her in it, "You're going to get pneumonia, you know that?"

She shivered as he rubbed the towel up and down her arms. "I'll live…"

He sighed and shook his head, "Are you okay?"

"I'm just really frustrated…" She whispered with a small pout, "But…can I borrow something to wear? I think you are right…I don't want to get pneumonia. I'm to pretty to be in a hospital gown…"

Hyde laughed and led her towards his bedroom where he pulled out a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt for her. She smiled and went into the bathroom to change as he went back to the living room and waited anxiously for her to come out and talk to him. He was worried about her, even though they had become friends she was still holding back when it came to emotions so this was strange for her to show up like this.

He looked up when he heard the bathroom door open and she walked over to him on the couch. Her hair was thrown up in a messy bun and his clothes were to big on her so she had to hold them close to her body. She looked so damn sexy and it took all his might to not throw her down on the couch and make love to her all night long. But he knew he couldn't…especially not now when she was so vulnerable.

He cleared his throat and pulled a blanket off of the end of the couch to give to her, "Better?"

She nodded and wrapped the blanket around her. "Yes. Thanks."

He nodded slowly and whispered, "So…what happened?"

Jackie sighed and curled up in a ball and rested her head on the back of the couch. "I don't want to talk about it…"

He stared at her for a moment and frowned, "Then why did you come here?"

She pouted and closed her eyes tightly feeling the tears brimming again, "Because…I needed a friend."

It felt good to feel hear her call him a friend, a true friend because it made him realize she was learning to trust him again. That was a good thing, a very good thing. But something in her voice worried him; he had a feeling something was really bothering her but it didn't seem like she wanted to tell him.

"Okay…" He whispered softly, "Well then I guess it's a good thing that we're friends now…"

She smiled and opened her eyes and nodded, "I guess it is…"

He smiled and reached over to pat her leg, "So you aren't going to tell me about your fight with Anna then?"

She sighed and shook her head, "No. It's complicated. And I don't want to bring it all up again ya know? I just…I want a distraction…"

A thought popped up in his head and he wondered if it would be too soon to joke about such a thing, but he couldn't seem to help himself. "We could always do it…"

Jackie stared at him for a moment trying to pretend to be angry before she started to laugh and she leaned forward to punch him. "You're such a pig."

He laughed and rubbed his chest where she had punched him. "Hey…you said you wanted a distraction…I was just making a suggestion." He said shrugging his shoulders and trying to smile innocently.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head, "Whatever…"

He chuckled and leaned back on the couch to get a better look at her, "Do you have a better idea then?"

She smirked and got up to go to his room, he watched her go and waited anxiously for her to come back. He laughed when she came back with a wooden box in her hands which he kept his own 'film' in.

She plopped down beside him and handed him the box, "It's been a long time since I had a good circle time…"

He smiled and opened the box, "You sure?"

She nodded slowly and smiled, "Yes. I'm sure."

Hyde stood up and flipped on his record player before opening the window a little. He sat down beside her again on the couch and took out a joint and lit it before taking a deep hit of it. He watched her as she watched him anxiously awaiting her return

He smiled as he held in the smoke of his hit and handed her the joint. He always loved watching her when she smoked, the way her small lips fit around the joint turned him on. And he loved the way she closed her eyes in contentment when it started to hit her, which it always did very quickly.

"Better?" He asked as she relaxed into the couch again and watched her.

She sighed happily and handed him the joint again, "Much better…"

Hyde smirked as he took another hit and handed it back to her, "Is there anything else I can do to help?"

Jackie happily inhaled again and let he sensation of release take over her again. She knew deep down it probably wasn't a good idea to suggest smoking because she never handed herself well. But at this moment…she really needed to stop feeling so nervous and worried about everything.

She wanted to feel safe…

And before she could even realize what she was doing, she moved across the couch and leaned up against Hyde. He was caught off guard at first and he started to cough as the smoke hit his lungs and she snuggled up to him. He felt like he should push her away but for some reason he couldn't…

Well he knew why he couldn't…he liked the feel of her against him again.

"What are you doing?" He asked as she snuggled into his chest.

She sighed contently and closed her eyes, "Steven I really like being your friend…"

He still felt very uncomfortable and very unsure of what was going on, "Well…I like being your friend too Jackie."

"I mean I have to be honest…when I first saw you again I was so angry." She said with her eyes still closed as she continued to lean into him and the joint burned beside her, the smoke filling her more. "I wanted to yell and scream and hit you for everything you did to me…"

He swallowed hard and let his arm rest on the back of the couch, "I know…"

"But I've actually really enjoyed hanging out with you…" She whispered to him. "I just…I'm scared Steven. I'm really scared."

He frowned and let his arm fall from the couch to wrap around her shoulders as she leaned into him more. "Why are you scared?"

She whimpered sadly and closed her eyes even tighter, "I'm scared that I'm going to lose you again…"

Hyde sighed and rubbed her shoulder gently trying to comfort her, "Why would you lose me?"

She started to cry as she buried her face in his chest, "Because things never work out for us. It's always so complicated…life always gets in the way. Our insecurities always get in the way and I lose you somewhere along the line…"

He frowned and held her closer, "I thought we said we were going to work on this friendship thing. We both know it won't be easy…but we can make it work."

"But what if we can't?" She asked sitting up to look at him with a frantic look on her face, "What if it all blows up in our face again?"

"Jackie where is this all coming from?" He asked reaching for her hand, "I thought things had been going well lately…"

She nodded her head, "They have been going well Steven. And that's what scares me…it can't last can it?"

"Jackie I don't understand…" He said desperately wanting to understand what she was so upset about and what had happened with Anna.

"Can we be friends?" She asked softly, "Can we honestly truly be friends…not just for now but forever?"

"I can't guarantee anything…no one can." He whispered sadly, "You know that…no one can guarantee anything in life Jacks…"

"But I've already lost you once Steven…I can't lose you again." She said wiping her tears away, "Even if things are so complicated between us even if I have these unresolved feelings for you and I don't know what I want…I can't handle losing you again."

Hyde could see how broken she was and his heart ached, "Well I can't handle losing you either Jackie…"

She sighed and reached for his hand, "Can you make me a promise?"

"Jackie…" He whispered sadly shaking his head. "Come on…"

"Please…can you at least say you'll try?" She asked squeezing his hand as she felt her heart pound in her chest.

He was quiet for a moment before he gave in, "Okay…I can try."

"Can you tell me that no matter what happens in the future…that we will try and stay friends no matter what?" She begged him.

"What do you mean? What do you see happening in the future that would make us not be friends anymore?" He asked her.

She shrugged, "I don't know…but I just need to hear you say that you won't freak out and leave again. Even if we are just friends…I care about you too much to let this be ruined again."

Hyde stared at her for a moment before squeezing her hand back, "Okay…I will do the best I can okay? I won't make a promise but I will say that I care about this friendship too. I don't want to let you down again…"

There was so much more that needed to be said but she couldn't handle it all right now. Her mind was racing and all the things that Anna had said were true, she didn't know where this friendship was going. She was terrified that it would all go to hell and she would be even more hurt in the end…

But she almost didn't care…she would almost welcome the pain if she could have five minutes with this man even just as friends. She needed him, she knew that now and it scared her to death. But God…did she want him in her life…she needed him in her life and she couldn't seem to let go.

She sighed and leaned back into him. "I really missed you Steven Hyde…"

He wrapped his arm around her again and tried to ignore the fear that was creeping up in his chest. He had hoped that this friendship would lead to better things for them but he was starting to get the feeling that Jackie's feelings and pain went much deeper than he had realized.

"I really missed you too Jackie Burkhart…" He whispered back to her as he held her close and let her cry. "I missed you too…"

Neither of them knew what was going to happen in the future but Hyde didn't care. All that he cared about right now was making this girl he loved more than anything feel safe again…he just didn't know if that was possible at this point.

* * *

**So this one was a bit longer than the other chapters, but what did you think? Still interested to see where the rest of the story goes? Let me know by sending in a review and I'll make sure to update real soon! Thanks! **


	11. Like A Child Girl

**Hey guys! Once again thanks for the feedback. I hope you like the new chapter! I'll be moving back into school on Monday but I will hopefully be able to update again before that. Read and then let me know what you think of the story! :) THANKS!**

* * *

The next morning, Hyde woke up after a peaceful nights sleep. He yawned and opened his eyes before realizing that he wasn't alone in bed. His heart skipped a beat when he saw that Jackie was curled up against him in his bed.

God…he had forgotten how warm and soft she felt beside him.

He had really missed this.

She looked so at peace beside him and it made him feel happy. Last night she had seemed so anxious and upset about everything and it broke his heart. He too had been worried about a lot lately but having her back in his life made him relax a little. He didn't realize how insecure she still was about everything and he just wished he could make her feel better about it all.

He knew that if she woke up and realized they had fallen asleep together it would freak her out more. He slowly detached himself from her embrace and crept out of his room as quietly as he could. He went into the kitchen and started to brew a pot of coffee for them and tried to wrap his head around everything that had been happening lately.

He knew what he wanted out of this friendship with Jackie…he wanted her to learn to trust him enough so that they could get back together eventually. But he was starting to worry that they weren't heading in the same directions…

He was rubbing the back of his neck and yawning as Jackie walked slowly into the kitchen with a small smile on her face. "Good morning…"

He nodded his head towards her and smiled, "Morning…"

She walked over to the table and sat down on one of the chairs before pulling her leg up against her chest, "So um…I didn't plan on sleeping here last night."

He stared at her for a moment and could tell she was nervous that something had happened, "I slept on the couch if that's what you are worried about." He responded quickly.

Her face softened and she rested her cheek against her knee, "Oh…okay."

He smiled and poured both of them a cup of coffee before bringing it over to her at the table, "Do you have to work today?"

She shook her head and took the cup, "No. Not until tomorrow."

He lifted the cup to his lips and took a sip, "You want to hang out today?"

"Don't you have to work?" She asked curiously as she let the cup warm her hands.

He smirked and took another sip, "The beauty about owning your own store is that you get to decide when you do and don't work."

She laughed and shook her head, "Are you sure you can do that? Isn't the store kind of new still?"

He sighed and put his cup down on the table, "Jackie I may have matured a little when I moved out here and decided to open a new store…" He paused and rubbed the stubble on his chin, "But I'm still me...I have no problem skipping work."

She laughed again and replied, "Okay…but I have nothing to wear."

He rolled his eyes, "Can't you wear what you wore yesterday? I'm sure it's dry by now and it's not like anyone saw you wearing it."

She scoffed, shocked by what he had said, "Steven! I can't possibly wear the same outfit two days in a row!"

He groaned, "Well can you bare to wear it for like fifteen minutes while we go to store and buy you a new outfit?"

Her face lit up at his words, "You're willing to go shopping with me?"

He sighed and stood up, "Well…you know you seemed upset yesterday so I figure it will help cheer you up…" He shrugged and coughed nervously, "Or whatever…"

Jackie jumped up excitedly and ran over to him, wrapping her arms around him from behind. "Give me five minutes and I'll be ready to go!"

He couldn't help but smile when her lips touched his cheek quickly before she ran off towards his bedroom to change into her clothes from yesterday. When she was gone, Hyde pressed his hand to his cheek reveling in the tingling feeling her lips had left there.

God he loved that girl…

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Jackie was happily rummaging through the racks at one of the stores down the street from Hyde's apartment. He was standing in the corner praying this wouldn't take much longer because he was already bored out of his mind.

Jackie walked over to him holding up to shirts that were exactly the same except for the color, one in red and one in purple, "Steven…which one goes better with my skin tone?"

He sighed and let his head fall back, "Come on Jackie…you know I don't make fashion choices. I hate this crap…"

She pouted and jumped up and down anxiously in front of him, "But St-_e_-ven!" She exclaimed in a high pitched voice, "I need help!" He lifted his head again and looked back at her nervously, "Which color looks better with my skin tone?" She asked again.

He groaned and looked between the shirts and Jackie, "I don't know…the red one?"

She scoffed and dropped the shirts down at her sides, "You didn't even look long enough Steven! Because if you had looked long enough you would have realized that the purple one is the right choice!"

He narrowed is eyes at her, feeling extremely confused by her statement. "Why did you ask me if you already knew the answer to the question?"

"Because if we are going to be friends I need to know you can help me with such crucial decisions!" He said poking him in the chest.

He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest to glare at her, "Jackie…friendship is usually based on a lot more than clothing decisions."

"Oh what do you know?" She said turning away from him and walking back towards the racks and starting to sort through them all again.

He laughed and followed close behind her, "I'm starting to regret suggesting we do this."

She looked over at him and saw just how bored he actually was and began to feel guilty about dragging him around the store. He was being so nice to her and had taken the day off of work to spend some time with her to cheer her up. She smiled and picked up the purple shirt again and a pair of jeans in her size before turning back to him.

"Okay I'm ready." She said with a smile.

He stared at her in disbelief, "What?" He looked at his watch and shook his head. "No way. We've only been here for like ten minutes…you need at least two more hours just to pick out the crap you need to try on. And then you'll spend another hour trying to decide which one makes your ass look better before throwing it all back on the racks and starting over."

Jackie chuckled and shrugged, "This will be fine for today. Let me just pay for them and I'll change so we can go."

"Seriously?" Hyde said staring directly into her eyes, "Jackie…are you feeling okay? Did you actually get pneumonia from the rain yesterday? Are losing it?"

She chuckled and put her hand on his arm, "No. We can go I know how much you hate shopping." She stared to walk towards the dressing room before Hyde nervously called after her.

"Wait uh…don't you need like…" He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck not looking at her, "Do you need to go buy…um…I mean don't you need like stuff for like under your clothes?"

Jackie smirked at how nervous he was and she shook her head and started to walk towards the dressing room again, "I can go commando for a day. You always liked when I did that didn't you?" She teased.

Hyde's head snapped up and he watched her walk away with a lot more sway in her hips than he had seen lately. Damn her…she was good. She was very good…

* * *

Ten minutes later they were walking down the street together, Jackie happily sporting her new outfit. She was talking a mile a minute as they strolled along the street and he was trying to ignore the image of Jackie without any underwear under her clothes. As she continued to ramble on, she reached into her bag to take out an umbrella because it was starting to rain.

She linked her arm with his again and pulled him close so that they could both stand under the umbrella. "The only thing I don't like about living here is all this damn rain!" She scoffed holding him close.

Hyde shrugged as they walked along, "I don't know…it's not so bad."

"Do you think you are going to go home for Thanksgiving?" Jackie asked as she listened to the steady sound of the raindrops on top of the umbrella.

"Mrs. Forman will kill me if I don't so…" He paused and then smirked, "Yes."

She laughed, "I haven't really decided what I'm going to do yet. It's still two months away but Red's already asked me about it at least ten times."

"That's because Kitty wants you there too. Everyone does…" Hyde said shrugging, "We can always fly back together if you don't want to go alone."

She shrugged, "Yeah…but that's not really what I'm worried about…"

"So what are you worried about then?" He asked looking over at her with a confused expression, "You're just going home…"

She shrugged and looked at the ground as they continued to walk together, "I know…but I feel like everything's different now…"

He was quiet for a moment before responding, "So what…are you never going to go home?"

She shook her head and looked back at him, "No…not never but I think I need a little more time still…"

"Well like you said…its still two months away. You don't have to make any decisions right now." He said.

She nodded and squeezed his arm, "I suppose you're right." They were quiet for a few moments as they walked along together before Jackie stopped and pulled on his arm. "Did you hear that?"

He looked back at her and tried to listen carefully to whatever it is she was hearing, "Hear what?"

Jackie tugged at his arm again, "That! That right there!"

"Jackie seriously…I don't hear anything." He said looking around, "What are you talking about?"

"Wait…just…listen really close…" She said anxiously looking around the stores and alley near where they were standing.

Hyde rolled his eyes and was about to respond when he heard a whimpering sound, "What is that?"

"You heard it?" Jackie asked pulling him towards the alley beside them.

"Yeah…but what is it?" He asked following her.

Jackie stopped near a couple of boxes in the corner and looked nervously at him, "What if some homeless guy pops out and tries to kiss me?"

Hyde rolled his eyes, "Jackie I think we would notice if there was a guy under those boxes…and most people don't make those type of noises."

She frowned and stared at him, "But what if it is?"

Hyde sighed and shook his head; "I'll punch him in the face okay?"

She smirked and then knelt down beside the boxes and nervously lifted them up. Immediately her face softened and she gasped and reached for Hyde's arm pulling him closer.

"Steven it's a puppy!" She shrieked.

Hyde knelt down beside her and looked under the boxes to see a wet and dirty fluffy little puppy dog, "What are you doing under there little buddy?"

Jackie reached in and pulled the small dog into her arms, "Aww…she's shivering."

Hyde looked around to see if there were any other dogs or clues to where this cat came from, "She's a mess…"

"What happened to you sweetie?" Jackie asked scratching the dog behind her ears, "Where's your family?"

Hyde sighed and reached over to pet her, "I don't know if we should be touching her…she might have like rabies or something."

Jackie whimpered and looked up at Hyde with her famous pout, "But Steven we can't just leave her here…she's all alone and I think she might be hurt."

Hyde looked at the dogs leg and noticed there was blood there and he sighed, "Jackie we can't just take a dog…especially one that is hurt."

"Well can we take it to the vet or something?" She asked holding her close as the dog nervously licked Jackie's hand.

"I don't know Jackie…I don't really like pets…" He said grimacing as he stared at the dog some more.

Jackie pouted again and whispered, "But Steven…"

He groaned and stepped aside, "Fine…let's go get my car and we can go to the animal hospital down the road."

Jackie's face lit up and she looked down at the dog, "Here that sweetie? We are going to take you to the Doctor to get you all cleaned up! And we'll even feed you and give you a nice warm home!"

Hyde groaned and followed her as she carried the dog back towards the street completely ignoring the rain. This was going to turn into much more than he was willing to handle.

* * *

At the animal hospital, Jackie and Hyde were standing in the examination room as the Vet started to clean up the dog.

"So you just found her in an alley?" He asked as he and his assistant scrubbed the dirt and dried blood away.

"Yes. Can you believe that someone would abandon such an innocent little thing?" Jackie asked as she bent down in front of the table and tried to comfort the small dog.

"Unfortunately…a lot of people abuse and abandon their pets." He said looking back at Jackie, "There are plenty of cats and dogs that need a good home…"

Jackie looked back up at Hyde with a big smile, "Steven we should adopt her!"

Hyde smiled at the Doctor and pulled Jackie up by her arm and over to the corner of the room, "Jackie…let's talk about this for a second."

She sighed and looked back at the dog who was crying again, "But Steven she is so adorable. And she needs a place to stay! We can't abandon her like her other owners did…"

"But Jackie…" He whispered nervously.

"We were abandoned too Steven…" She whispered with a small pout, "Don't you remember how scary and lonely that feels?"

Hyde sighed and looked over at the dog again who stared up at him with her big brown eyes. She was pretty cute…and people seemed to really enjoy dogs so why not?

He sighed again and looked back at Jackie who was staring at him with pleading eyes, "Well it's not like we can adopt her together? We live in different towns…"

She shrugged, "But we can spend time with her together! And if you want she will spend the majority of the time with me…"

Hyde nodded his head slowly thinking this may be one of the bigger mistakes of his life but he knew this would make Jackie happy, "Well then I guess we can adopt her…"

Jackie jumped up and down excitedly and hugged Hyde before turning back to the Doctor who was wrapping the Dog's leg. "Did you hear that girl! You have a new home!"

The vet smiled and stood up as he scratched the dog behind her ear, "This is a big commitment, you sure you are up for it?"

Jackie nodded and bent down to snuggled the dog again, "I am definitely up for it."

He smiled and nodded, "Well she has a pretty big gash here on her leg and some other cuts and bruises. She also is a bit to skinny for my liking so you're going to need to put her on a eating schedule to fatten her up a bit."

Jackie smiled and kissed the dog's nose, "Okay! What kind of dog is she anyway?" She asked staring at the dog's white and black furry coat.

"She's a border collie." He said.

Jackie smiled and looked back at Hyde, "Steven she needs a good name…"

"Just name her Lassie or something." Hyde said shrugging not really caring what they named her.

Jackie rolled her eyes, "Steven! You need to really think about it!"

Hyde bent down beside Jackie in front of the dog and stared at the big brown eyes. The dog seemed to be staring right into his soul, just like Jackie often did and he knew he was in for a lot of trouble with these two. Slowly the dog reached her injured leg out as if she was reaching for Hyde and his icey heart melted in two…

"Damn you dog…" He whispered leaning forward to ruffle her head.

Jackie smiled, "See…you already love her don't you?"

"Jackie we've talked about this…I love Cameros, Zeppelin and French fries." He shook his head adamantly. "Nothing else. "

Jackie rolled her eyes and scratched the puppy behind her ears, "Oh don't listen to him sweetie, he's a big softie. You'll see!"

"Whatever." Hyde said rolling his eyes as he looked back at the dog, "What are we gonna name her?"

"Oh! I know!" Jackie said excitedly, "Mary Tyler Moore!"

Hyde scoffed and looked over at her like she was crazy, "We are not name our dog Mary Tyler Moore, Jackie!"

She pouted and turned back to the puppy, "But why not?"

"Because it's a stupid name…" Hyde said looking back at the dog, "She needs to have a cool name so everyone knows what a badass she is for surviving the way she did."

Jackie rolled her eyes, "Well remember she is a girl…"

Hyde nodded slowly and then a smile spread on his face, "What about Sadie? You know like "Sexy Sadie" by The Beatles?" He asked as he continued to scratch the puppy gently.

Jackie smiled and looked intently at the puppy, "What do you think girl? Do you like that name? Do you want to be Sadie?"

The puppy just barked happily and licked them both on the hand and Hyde smirked, "Well I'll take that as a yes."

Jackie smiled and kissed her head, "Well then you are officially Sadie Burkhart Hyde."

The vet smiled at them both, "Well congratulations you two. I think the three of you will be very happy together."

Jackie smiled and stood up as she scooped up Sadie in her arms, "So we'll have to go to the store and get her all sorts of stuff right? A leash and collar, food and a bed and everything like that."

"Yes." The vet said as he handed her a prescription, "And you should give her these for the pain right now and I want to see her again in a week to asses her injuries."

Jackie smiled and handed Hyde the paper, "Okay. We'll be here!"

"You guys are doing a very good thing taking this little girl in." He said scratching Sadie behind the ear.

Jackie smiled and held Sadie up beside her face, "Well who could resist that face?"

Hyde and the vet watched Jackie walk out of the examination room to go make another appointment with the secretary. Hyde was about to follow her when the vet called out to him.

"You and you girlfriend make a good couple." He said as he started to wash his hands in the nearby sink.

Hyde's heart did a back flip in his chest and he smiled shaking his head, "Oh…she's not my girlfriend. We're just friends…"

He nodded in surprise and apologized, "Oh I'm sorry…you just seem so much in synch. I just assumed…"

Hyde smiled and put his hand up to stop him, "Don't worry about it. We'll see you next week Doc. Thanks."

With that he walked back out into the lobby and found Jackie waiting by the door with Sadie in her arms.

She smiled. "Everything okay?"

Hyde nodded and held the door open for the both of them. "Yup. Everything's great."

* * *

Later that night at Hyde's apartment, Jackie was sitting on the floor playing tug of war with Sadie with one of the new toys they bought her. There was a big fluffy pillow bed beside the couch they had bought, bowls and food for her, her medicine and a plethora of other toys laying around too.

"Aww Steven look how feisty she is!" Jackie said as she continued to tug at the rope.

Hyde smirked from his seat on the couch as he sipped on his beer, "Yeah she is pretty cool…"

Jackie smiled and scooped up Sadie before joining Hyde on the couch, she placed Sadie down between them and smiled. "I can't believe you agreed to this…"

Hyde chuckled, "It's not like I ever really had a choice in the matter did I? The moment you laid eyes on her all bets were off…"

Jackie smiled and leaned down to kiss Sadie who happily licked back, "She is just so stinking adorable…how could we have abandoned her?"

Hyde reached between them and scratched Sadie behind the ears, "I guess you're right…"

Jackie looked back at him nervously, "Steven…would it be okay if I stay here again tonight?"

Hyde looked back up at her nervously, his heart hammering in his chest as he answered her. "Well…yeah I guess so. But don't you have to work tomorrow?"

Jackie shrugged and turned her attention back to Sadie, petting her gently on the back as she whispered. "Well yeah…but I can just go to work straight from here. And besides…it's Sadie's first night and she's probably still a little confused and scared. She needs her Mommy and Daddy right now…"

Hyde smiled as he heard the innocence in her voice, and hell it wasn't like he minded if she stayed over or not. "Well then yeah you can stay…"

Jackie looked back up at him with a brilliant smile and lifted Sadie up again, "You heat that baby? Daddy says we can stay!"

Hyde just chuckled as she lifted the dog up to his face and she licked him on the cheek gently, "Okay…okay! But…she is not sleeping in my bed!"

Jackie pouted again, "Aww but Steven-"

He put his hand up and pointed at her sternly, "No but's Jackie…"

She whimpered and held up Sadie close to her face, "But this is her first night in her new home…think about how scared she must be still!"

Hyde shook his head adamantly, "No way. Not happening Jackie. If we start letting her sleep in our beds now she will never learn her place."

Jackie pouted some more and then scooted away from Hyde, "Fine. If she has to sleep out here on her bed then I will sleep here with her."

Hyde rolled his eyes, "Jackie don't be ridiculous. You can sleep on my bed and I'll crash on the floor in my room. Sadie will stay out here tonight."

Jackie shook her head, "No way! I will not let my baby suffer out here all by herself. She needs me…" She said as she walked over to Sadie's bed and placed her down gently.

"Jackie she's a dog…not a human…" Hyde tried to reason with her.

Jackie looked back at him with a determined look on her face, "Even still…she has feelings you know Steven! Dogs can learn to be zen like you!"

Hyde rolled his eyes again and then stood up, "Fine…whatever. I'm exhausted…I'm heading to bed. I'll see you two nut jobs in the morning…"

Jackie scoffed and leaned down to Sadie and whispered in her ear, "Daddy didn't mean that Sadie…he's just being a sour puss."

"I'd rather be a sour puss than a psycho talking to a dog like it's a baby." Hyde called after her as he continued to walk to her room.

Jackie reached for a couch pillow and threw it at him, "Oh I hate you Steven Hyde!"

He smirked as he ducked away from the pillow and snuck into his room, "Keep telling yourself that doll…"

Jackie pouted some more and then made herself a bed on the couch. She pulled Sadie's bed up beside her on the floor and turned out the light before crawling onto the couch and sticking her hand on the ground for Sadie to snuggle into. She smiled when she felt Sadie lick her hand and rub her back against her arm as she slowly began to shut her eyes.

Everything was going well until the rain started up again…but Jackie tried to ignore it. That was until there was a giant crack of thunder making her jump a foot off the couch and Sadie to start howling from her bed on the floor.

Jackie scooped Sadie up quickly and threw the blanket on the couch over them both to try and protect them. Sadie snuggled up in the crook of Jackie's neck as another crack sounded through the room and Jackie whimpered.

She tried to hold out but after twenty minutes of the thunder storm, Jackie quickly wrapped herself and Sadie up in the blanket and ran over to Hyde's bedroom door. She slowly opened it and walked to the side of the bed where Hyde was already fast asleep since thunder never bothered him.

"Steven…" She whispered reaching a hand down to poke him gently.

"Hmf…" He grunted in his sleep before he rolled over onto his back.

Jackie was just about to poke him again when another crack of thunder happened and she jumped on the bed with Sadie in her arms and buried her face into Hyde's neck. He jumped up too, totally freaked out by the sudden presence of someone beside him and he looked around quickly.

"What the hell?" He screamed into his room.

Jackie scooped up the covers that he had been using and threw them over herself and Sadie who was howling louder now. Hyde looked back at the lump beside him and sighed as Jackie's muffled voice came through the blanket.

"Turns out Sadie is afraid of thunder…" She whispered.

Hyde chuckled and shook his head, "Oh and you aren't?"

Slowly Jackie peeked her head out from under the blankets just enough so that her eyes were showing and she shook her head, "No…"

Hyde was about to respond when another loud crack echoed through the room and Jackie practically wrapped herself around his body with Sadie squished between them. Hyde laughed and tried to free his arms so he could try and comfort them both.

"Jackie's it's just a bit of thunder…" He said rubbing her back as she squeezed him as hard as she could.

"Yeah well…it's scary!" She mumbled into his chest.

Hyde sighed, "I don't want the dog sleeping in my bed Jackie…"

Jackie slowly lifted her head and pouted at Hyde again, "But…but it's thunder and lightening Steven!"

"Jackie…" He warned her as Sadie finally freed herself from Jackie's tight embrace and snuggled up next to Hyde and rested her head on his leg.

He sighed and looked down at the small pup who was also staring up at him with sad pouty eyes. He looked back at Jackie who was shaking now and he remembered just how much she hated thunder…except when it meant she got to spend the night with him in the basement wrapped up together on the cot.

Those had been good nights…very good nights if he remembered correctly.

He sighed again and once again realized he could never say no to Jackie in situation's like this…and now with the dog he was in even more trouble.

"Oh fine…" He said falling back onto the bed.

Jackie giggled and snuggled up next to Hyde as Sadie crawled up onto his chest and settled herself between them.

"See Sadie…I told you your Daddy was a big softie." She whispered to her.

Hyde groaned and just wrapped his arm around Jackie. "Shut it Jackie…"

She laughed again and snuggled into Hyde as she felt sleep take over. The thunder wasn't bothering her now that she was safe in Hyde's arms and she forgot all about the fact that this was probably something friends didn't ever do…

"Goodnight Steven…" She whispered against the crook of his neck.

Hyde held her close and reveled in the feeling of her warm breath against his skin. "Yeah…goodnight Jacks…"

As he held her close with Sadie safely nestled between them he was beginning to wonder how much longer they were going to keep up this 'just friends' charade…One more night like this in his arms he was surely going to crack…

* * *

**So what did you think? I hope you liked it! Let me know by sending in a review! **


	12. You Know I've Seen A Lot

**I am LOVING all the feedback you are sending so KEEP IT COMING! :)**

**I pretty much have the rest of the story all planned out, I just need to write the actual chapters.  
I hope you will like this chapter and the rest to come! **

* * *

The next morning, Jackie woke up sat up safely nestled in Hyde's arms with Sadie licking her face. She smiled contently and ruffled Sadie's fur on the top of her head before she turned to look at Hyde who was still fast asleep beside her. She took in his appearance for a moment before swallowing hard and trying to wrap her head around her situation.

She had felt so happy last night when Hyde comforted her because of her fear of thunder. It felt so good to be in his arms again but they were just friends right? They had to be just friends…it was what was safer for them both.

Sighing, she slowly detached herself from his arms and carried Sadie out into the living room. She quickly threw on a coat and hooked Sadie up to her collar and leash and took her out for a quick walk.

She was walking outside of his apartment thinking about this newfound friendship with Hyde. She loved every minute of being with him, she knew that but she also knew that Anna was right. Things were complicated for them, they always had been and they were only getting worse by the day…

Sadie was standing in front of her staring up at her with a confused expression on her face. Jackie smiled and leaned down in front of her new puppy and scratched her behind the ear.

"Hey there girl…" She sighed as Sadie licked her hand, "Your Mommy has gotten herself into a really big mess…"

Sadie just yelped and Jackie smiled and leaned down to kiss her on the head. She let Sadie finish her business and then went back upstairs to Hyde's apartment. She smiled when's he found him in the kitchen making coffee.

"Hey…" She whispered as Sadie ran up to Hyde and he threw her a treat.

Hyde stared at her for a moment before responding, "Hey…" He cleared his throat and smiled, "Thought you left without saying goodbye for a minute there…"

Jackie threw Hyde's keys down on the counter and smiled sadly, "No…just taking Sadie out for a little walk."

Hyde nodded slowly and turned back to the coffee pot and away from her. Jackie walked to the counter and got some food to fill Sadie's bowl for her. Hyde seemed quiet which made her nervous, she had to leave soon if she was going to make it home before work but she didn't want to leave like this…

She walked over to the counter beside Hyde and hopped up on it, he smiled gently at her and she smiled nervously back. "Hey Steven?"

He turned back to the coffee pot before responding, "Hm?"

"Um…it's okay that I stayed over last night right?" She asked softly, he turned his head back towards her slowly and she quickly looked down. "Did I…did I make you uncomfortable or anything? I didn't plan on sleeping in your bed with you I just…"

She trailed off and Hyde cleared his throat again and shook his head, "Don't worry about it Jackie. You never liked thunder…I know that…"

She nodded slowly and smiled down at Sadie who was currently licking her toes, "You were always good at comforting me…"

His eyes met hers for a moment before he looked away nervously and went to pour her a cup of coffee. "I tried…"

Jackie swallowed hard and then hopped down off the counter, "I uh…I should probably get going if I'm going to make it to work on time."

He looked over at her again and smiled, "Sure…"

She licked her lips and scooped up Sadie, "So uh…who gets her this time?"

Hyde smiled and scratched Sadie behind the ears again, "You take her…I hear it might thunder again tonight…you can keep each other company."

Jackie smiled up at him and leaned up in her tiptoes to kiss his cheek, "I'll call you soon."

Hyde watched her walk around the room as she picked up all of Sadie's things and he smiled. "I'll be waiting…"

She smiled at him from the doorway and lifted Sadie's paw to wave goodbye to him. He chuckled and waved back and as she walked out of his apartment he knew he was in way to deep…

* * *

After Jackie brought everything home and set up all of Sadie's things in her apartment, she quickly got ready for her day. Deciding she couldn't leave Sadie alone just yet, she got her ready to go out and took her to her photo shoot at the park. She nervously walked Sadie up to where Anna was standing and setting everything up for their shoot that day.

Anna saw her walking towards her and smiled nervously. "Hey…" She looked down at Sadie and bent down in front of her, "Whose this?"

Jackie smiled at her friend as she played with her new dog, "This is Sadie…I adopted her." She paused and laughed nervously, "Actually…Steven and I adopted her."

Anna looked back up at her quickly before standing up again, "What?"

Jackie sighed and shrugged, as she looked down, afraid to meet Anna's eyes. "The thing is…you were right about everything you said. This is all so complicated…I know it is. It's always been complicated with Steven but I can't seem to let him go…"

Anna was quiet for a moment, knowing how hard this must be for her to admit. "I didn't want to be right…"

Jackie smiled and shuffled her feet nervously, "I know…"

Anna sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, "So what are you going to do?"

She shook her head and laughed sadly as tears burned in her eyes, "I don't know? Nothing probably…I don't know how to walk away again."

"You know it's not just him I'm worried about…" Anna whispered sadly, "I don't want to see you get hurt again Jackie…I know that it feels like to lose the person you love most remember?"

Jackie nodded slowly, "I'm sorry about everything I said-"

Anna shook her head, "You don't have to apologize. I understand…"

She wiped her tears away slowly and sniffled, "It would be so much easier if he hadn't of ever showed up here…"

Anna shrugged, "But we both know you would still be thinking about him…"

She smiled sadly and nodded her head, "You're right again…"

"Maybe if you stop running things will finally work out for you two?" Anna asked hopefully.

Jackie shook her head and let the tears fall more, "Or maybe it will make them worse…"

Anna sighed and pulled her up against her side, "Come on…lets do something to take your mind off of all of this."

Jackie smiled and wrapped her arm around Anna's waist, "I am really lucky I have you as a friend…"

Anna smirked and squeezed her shoulder as they walked towards their clients with Sadie at their heels, "I know…"

Jackie laughed as they walked along and told herself that for now, she would let things play out as they were supposed too. She knew she wouldn't be able to run again even if she tried…

* * *

That night Hyde was sitting in his apartment paying some bills when the phone rang. He put his pen down and turned down the music before picking up the phone and clearing his throat.

"Hello?" He said into the phone.

"Steven you haven't called in three days!" A very angry Kitty Forman yelled into the phone.

Hyde grimaced and sat back in his chair, "Uh…hey Mrs. Forman…sorry about that. I've been pretty busy."

Kitty huffed on the other end of the phone, "To busy to talk to the woman who took you in like her own child?"

He smiled sadly, "I'm sorry Mrs. Forman. It won't happen again."

"You better believe it won't! I was starting to worry Steven! I thought I was going to have to send out a search party to Seattle just to make sure you were still alive!" Kitty yelled.

Hyde chuckled and reached for his beer on the table, "No need to worry…I'm still breathing." He assured her.

"Well I'm glad to hear that." She said as she laughed her famous laugh making him feel just a little homesick, "So how are you doing then sweetie?"

"I'm good. Jackie and I adopted a dog…" He said chuckling into the phone realizing how ridiculous the statement sounded.

"Adopted a dog?" She asked confused, "Together?"

"I know…" He said chuckling some more. "But we found her stranded in an alley yesterday in the rain and Jackie fell in love…"

"With the dog or you?" She said laughing making Hyde nervous, "Oh we all know she is already in love with you so you must have been referring to the dog!"

Hyde rubbed the back of his neck nervously and cleared his throat, "Mrs. Forman…Jackie and I are just friends now, remember?"

She sighed, "Oh sure Steven…just friends. I know." She giggled again before talking again, "But Red wants to talk to you so I'm going to hand the phone to him before he rips it out of my hand. You be good and take care of Jackie and the new pup!" She giggled some more before saying sternly, "And don't you dare go three days without calling again or I will fly out there and check up on you myself!"

Hyde laughed before he heard Red's voice on the other end, "How we doin Steven?"

"Hey Red. I'm good." He said leaning against the table, "I assume you want to yell at me for worrying the crap out of Mrs. Forman…"

Red sighed, "She's been pacing for days…drank all the damn wine in the house too. I think she may have even started in on my beers…"

Hyde laughed and shook his head, "Man do I miss her…"

"So what's this I hear about adopting a dog?" Red asked curiously.

"Oh yeah…Jackie and I kind of adopted a dog together." He said nervously unsure of how Red was going to react to that.

"And you're still pretending to be just friends are you?" Red asked with amusement.

Hyde sighed, "It's getting harder by the day Red…I mean she spent the last two nights over here because she was upset the first night and because of the dog the second night."

"And where exactly did she sleep?" Red asked, Hyde could almost see the smirk that was surely plastered on his face.

"In my bed…" Hyde whispered with a grimace.

"Oh geez…" Red said as he chuckled, "That girl has you whipped Steven!"

Hyde grunted and took a swig of his beer before answering, "Tell me something I don't know…"

"So how long are you planning on keeping up this little charade then?" Red asked, "I mean when are you going to tell her what you really want?"

"She knows how I feel Red…I told her when we ran into each other the first time here. But I can't tell if she is pretending like I never said any of it or if she just doesn't car about me that way anymore…" Hyde said sadly.

"Oh we both know she still cares about you that way Steven…" Red said rolling his eyes on the other end of the phone, "She's just scared…"

"Yeah well so am I." Hyde said laughing in frustration, "But I don't know what I'm supposed to do in this situation. I mean…how much longer can I pretend to just be her friend? Especially now with the damn dog we have and I'm telling you if she spends anymore nights in my bed wrapped around me the way she did last night…" He shivered and sighed, "I'm going to lose it…"

Red laughed, he truly felt sorry for Hyde at this moment. "I don't know what to tell you son. Jackie's usually an open book but ever since the whole Sam debacle…" He said sighing, "She's changed…she's more closed off from the world."

Hyde sighed again and pushed his beer away from him, "I know. And I hate that I did that too her…"

"Look…the best advice I can give you right now Steven is to just play it by ear okay? You don't want to push her so let her come to you when she is ready. I think the longer you do this whole friends thing…she'll slowly learn to trust you again and then maybe she will feel comfortable with the whole relationship thing again." Red said hopefully.

"Yeah I guess you're right…I do like spending time with her again and I don't want to push her away now that I have her back in my life." Hyde said agreeing.

Red smiled on the other end of the phone, "Exactly. See…you're a smart kid Steven. You'll figure it all out in time…"

Hyde sighed again and smiled, "I hope so."

"Alright…" Red said slowly, "Well that dumbass son of my mine is apparently on his way home. He should be here in a couple of days…I'll have him call you when he gets here."

"He can't move in with me if that's what you're implying…" Hyde said jokingly.

"Well Jesus Steven…I put a roof over your head for years and you can't do me a favor by taking my free loader son off my hands?" He teased.

"Sorry Red…I appreciate what you and Mrs. Forman did and all but…I'm not letting him mooch off of me." Hyde said laughing.

Red chuckled. "Oh fine…I'll talk to you soon Steven."

"Bye Red. Tell Mrs. Forman I miss her." He said smiling as he hung up the phone.

After he hung up with Red he stood up to start washing his dishes from dinner. He was just finishing up when the phone rang again, he dried his hands off and walked back to the phone and quickly answered it.

"Hello?" He said into the phone.

"Hey Steven!" A cheery Jackie said on the other end causing a smile to spread on Hyde's face, "I just wanted to call so you could say goodnight to Sadie!"

Hyde chuckled and rolled his eyes, "Jackie…I'm not talking to a dog over the phone. That's the stupidest thing I have ever heard."

She scoffed and held Sadie close to her, "Steven J. Hyde you take that back! Sadie is just as much yours as she is mine and you have to love her!"

"Just because I don't want to talk to her on the phone doesn't mean I don't love her Jackie…" He tried to reason with her.

Jackie smiled down at Sadie who was wiggling in her arms, "Aww…did you hear that girl? Your Daddy does love you!"

Hyde sighed and shook his head trying his best not to smile, "You are literally insane, you know that?"

"I've learned to accept it over the years." She teased back as she set Sadie down on the floor again, "How was your day anyway?"

"Good. We were pretty busy at the store, a new Stones album came out today." He said settling down on his couch to talk to her.

"Well I'm glad business is doing well!" Jackie said excitedly, "I'm very proud of you Steven."

"Thanks." He said feeling his cheeks burn with embarrassment, "How was your day?"

"Great! I got to help Anna take pictures today at our shoot! It was so much fun!" Jackie said happily.

"Well good for you Jackie…I'm proud of you too." He said sincerely.

She smiled and felt her heart do a little summersault in her chest, "Thanks Steven…" She paused for a moment, "Well I have to get up really early. Anna wants me to go with her to take pictures at sunrise at the harbor tomorrow. And we both know if I don't get my eight hours of beauty sleep I am a big crank…"

Hyde chuckled, "Oh I remember alright…"

She smiled and bit her lip nervously, "I'll uh…I'll talk to you soon okay? You can have Sadie in a couple of days…"

"Sounds good." Hyde said secretly wishing she didn't have to hang up the phone.

"And um…thanks again for the last two days." She said nervously, "It was really good to know I had a friend to lean on…"

Hyde's heart ached for her in that moment, "I'm always here Jacks. Don't forget it…"

She smiled and pulled Sadie closer to her, "Right back at ya." She paused. "Goodnight Steven."

"Night Jackie." He said smiling as he hung up the phone.

He lay back on the couch and closed his eyes and wondered just how the hell he was going to fall asleep tonight without her in his arms…

* * *

Back at her apartment, Jackie was snuggling with Sadie on the couch when she heard a knock on the door. She stood up and went to answer it, smiling when she saw Liz on the other side.

"Hey Liz." She said stepping aside for her to come in, "Did you come to meet Sadie?"

Liz smiled and reached for Sadie and pulled her into her arms, "I did! She is just the sweetest thing Jackie!"

Jackie smiled as she followed her into the apartment, "So it's okay that I have her here then? I realized I never asked you about the animal policy…"

Liz nodded and started to play with Sadie on the floor by the couch, "Oh sure it's not a problem at all!" Jackie smiled and went to sit on the couch to watch them as Liz said to her, "So I hear you've been spending a lot of time with Steven lately…"

Jackie fidgeted in her seat and smiled, "I see you've been talking to Anna…"

Liz smiled and looked back up at Jackie as Sadie tugged on one of the toys in her hands, "You should know that we pretty much tell each other everything…"

Jackie laughed and sighed as she pulled her legs up on the couch, "Good to know." She paused and rested her head on the back of the couch, "Tell me the truth…do you think I'm being stupid by trying to be Steven's friend?"

Liz scooped up Sadie and sat down beside Jackie on the couch, "I don't know Steven at all really…but I can tell the two of you have a really strong connection." She shrugged, "I think you need to do what you think is best for you…"

"But what if I don't know what's best for me?" Jackie asked with a sad smile, "I mean my head is telling me to run like hell…"

"And what is your heart telling you?" Liz asked as she scratched Sadie behind the ears while she held her close.

Jackie pouted and hugged a pillow close to her, "To hold onto Steven as tight as possible and never let go…"

"Well then I guess you have to decide if you want to listen to your head…or your heart…" Liz said shrugging.

Jackie sighed as Sadie crawled into her lap and she held her close, "I just wish it didn't have to be so damn difficult…"

"But that's what love is isn't it? It's not supposed to be easy…if it was there would be no passion…no depth to it." Liz pointed out.

Jackie nodded slowly agreeing with her, "Yeah true…but then maybe we wouldn't all get our hearts broken…that pain hurts like hell."

"Of course it does. But if we couldn't feel the pain…we wouldn't be able to enjoy the good parts right?" Liz said smiling at her.

Jackie sighed and rolled her eyes, "Oh why don't you just tell me to get back together with him already? That's clearly what you are hinting at!"

Liz laughed and threw her hands up in defeat, "What can I say…I'm a sucker for happy endings."

Jackie laughed and threw a pillow at her, "You're just as bad as your cousin…"

Liz smirked and shrugged again, "I learned from the best…"

Jackie just laughed again and continued to hold onto Sadie as the two friends talked more about her relationship with Hyde. But the whole time she was wondering…how she was going to sleep tonight without the safety of his arms wrapped around her…

* * *

The next day Hyde was stacking records at work when Anna walked through the door. He nodded his head towards her as she made her way towards the front desk. He finished what he was doing and then went to go greet her, he smiled casually and she smiled back.

"Hey Anna. What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I had to come into the city to pick up some new lenses for my cameras." She said shrugging, "Figured I'd stop by and see how things were going with you…"

He laughed, "I'm sure Jackie has been telling you everything hasn't she?"

Anna smiled and nodded, "She has…but I was interested in hearing your side of the story."

Hyde looked at the clock and saw that it was about time for his lunch break, "You want to go grab a bite to eat?"

She nodded, "Sure. I am in no rush."

"Cool." Hyde went to grab his coat and told the rest of his employees he would be back before he met Anna out front of the store. "No work today?" He asked as they walked along the sidewalk together.

"I worked this morning with Jackie, developing the pictures from our shoot yesterday but we finished pretty early. I sent Jackie home to go check on Sadie when we finished." She explained.

Hyde smirked as he buttoned up his jacket trying to ward off the cool fall air, "Ah so you've met the little furball I take it?"

Anna laughed, "I can tell it was more her idea than yours to adopt her…"

Hyde chuckled, "Never been much of an animal person. I mean don't get me wrong…she's pretty cute and all but if I had found her without Jackie I probably would have just left her at the vet or whatever." He said shrugging.

Anna smirked, "But you wanted to make Jackie happy so you agreed to the whole adoption thing."

Hyde rolled his eyes, "Whatever…"

Anna laughed as they walked into a nearby deli and both put in their orders; they were waiting at their table when Anna started to talk again. "So uh…did you ever mention to Jackie that I came to see you before?"

Hyde shook his head as he took a sip of his soda, "No. Did you?"

She shook her head slowly, "It never really came up…"

"Yeah." Hyde paused, "It's probably better if we don't tell her. As much as Jackie loves being the center of attention, she absolutely hates it when people talk behind her back."

"I mean…it's not like we are saying anything bad about her though…" Anna whispered.

Hyde shook his head, "No…but she probably wouldn't enjoy the fact that we are talking about my relationship with her. Especially since technically you are her friend and not mine…and she has no idea that we have ever even met."

Anna nodded, "Alright. I guess you're right. We won't tell her."

"What do we do if she ends up introducing us?" Hyde asked curiously.

"Just act like we've never met each other at all I guess. " Anna said shrugging as their sandwiches were brought to them.

Hyde cut his sandwich and half and looked over at her, "Alright." He took a bite and then said to her, "So why did you come by again today anyway?"

Anna shrugged as she chewed her own sandwich, "I guess I've been feeling kind of guilty because of that fight I had with Jackie. I know she told you because she told me that she stayed with you the past two days because of it."

Hyde shrugged, "Yeah she told me about it."

"I really wasn't trying to upset her…I just don't want to see her get hurt again. And I don't want her to do anything she is going to regret." Anna said sadly.

Hyde swallowed and then gave her a strange look, "Not to be rude or anything…but why do you care so much?" He shrugged, "I mean it's not like you've known Jackie for very long…"

Anna nodded, "No I haven't. But in some ways she kind of reminds me of myself. And I made a hell of a lot of mistakes in my past and I don't want her to go through the crap I did."

"What do you mean?" He asked curiously, "I don't mean to pry or anything…"

She smiled, "I guess I just tried to run away from my problems because it was easier than facing them. And in the end it only caused more trouble than I had started off with ya know? I got into deep with things I wasn't able to handle because I wanted to find something to numb the pain…"

"You mean like drugs or something?" Hyde asked softly.

Anna nodded, "I was pretty heavy into heroin for awhile…my cousin Liz was the one who convinced me to get some help. It was a hell of a dark road to recovery though man and I don't want Jackie to ever experience anything like that."

Hyde's face softened, "I'm really sorry you had to go through all that. But…I don't really see Jackie going down that road."

Anna shrugged, "No maybe not drugs…but people can do other things to dull their own pain."

"What do you mean?" He asked feeling his heart race.

Anna looked down at the table, "Well…like throwing yourself into other relationships to try and get over someone…"

Hyde cleared his throat nervously, "Is Jackie seeing someone else?"

She looked back up at him and shook her head, "No. Not that I know of."

Hyde was quiet for a moment, letting her words sink and he sighed. "I guess I could see her doing that…trying to prove that she's over me or something. And she doesn't always have the most common sense when it comes to guys. She can be a bit naive as to what they really want…"

Anna nodded, "Jackie's a really attractive girl…lots of guys will take advantage of her if they get the chance."

Hyde's jaw clenched and he felt his heart pounding in his chest, "I'll kill them before they get the chance to try anything."

Anna smiled sympathetically at him, "You can't be with her all the time Hyde…"

He sighed and threw his sandwich down on his plate, suddenly losing his appetite. "Damnit. You're right…"

"I mean…what do you think? You obviously know Jackie better than I do. Do you think she wants to be with you again?" She asked curiously.

Hyde sighed and rubbed the back of his neck; he was beginning to feel very tense and very tired. "I really have no clue. I mean the last two days we've spent together she was going on and on about how important our friendship was to her. And how she didn't want to lose me again and so I felt like maybe she felt more for me than just a friendship kind of love…" He sighed again and sat back in his chair, "But at the same time I'm not sure what she wants. She's so different than the Jackie I knew back home…"

"What do you mean?" Anna asked.

Hyde smirked, "If you think Jackie's spunky now…you should have seen her back in Point Place. She said whatever the hell she wanted to say no matter how it might affect people and for the most part in our relationship she never held anything back. I always knew if she was angry, sad or if she was really happy because she was always telling me how she felt. I used to hate it…" He chuckled to himself sadly, "But now I'd give anything for her to just tell me what the hell she is thinking…"

"Well from what she has told me…you really hurt her." Anna whispered to him.

Hyde nodded slowly feeling that familiar ache in his chest. "Yeah…I know I did."

"So…why'd you stay with that Sam girl?" She asked quickly, she wasn't sure if she was overstepping her boundaries but she really wanted to know the answer.

Hyde was quiet for a moment before he leaned against the table and stared at his hands, "Because I never wanted to see Jackie hurt the way she looked that day that Sam showed up…"

He had spoken so softly, Anna wasn't even sure if she had heard him correctly. "I don't understand…"

Hyde looked up at her; he slowly took off his sunglasses and shrugged. "The look on Jackie's face when Sam showed up almost killed me. I had never seen her look so damn defeated or devastated before and I never wanted her to feel or look that way again."

Anna let his words sink in for a moment before answering, "So you thought if you ended it for good you would never be able to hurt her again."

Hyde nodded slowly, "Exactly." He shrugged, "I figured she'd just find some other guy to fill my place and he would be better for her. He would give her all the things I never could and he would never ever betray her the way I did…and then maybe she would finally be happy."

"But she never moved on…" Anna whispered.

He sighed and shook his head, "Nope. Not even when I constantly burned her or flaunted Sam in her face. She just stood there and took it and it killed me more and more everyday…"

"So why didn't you just give up and tell her how you actually felt?" Anna asked.

"Because I'm stubborn." Hyde said with a small laugh, "It's a trait that Jackie and I share actually. I couldn't apologize and she wouldn't give up…so we stayed in this vicious circle until Kelso finally broke it for us."

"You mean when he proposed with the ring you had bought for her…" Anna whispered.

Hyde nodded as a small smile grew on his face, "When I bought that ring I was terrified." He paused and laughed sadly; "The sales guy must have thought I was on crack because I was sweating so much when he gave it to me…"

Anna smiled, "So why'd you do it then if you were so nervous?"

Hyde looked back at her and said honestly. "Because I love her."

It was a simple answer, and most people would expect there to be more to it than that. But as Anna sat there with Hyde she realized he didn't have to have any other answer. He really did love her…but things had gotten so screwed up and neither one of them knew how to get out of it.

She felt sorry for both of them and wished that she could find a way to help them. Unfortunately, she was starting to realize that this was something that only the two of them were going to be able to work through.

Anna reached across the table and patted his hand gently, "Don't give up yet, okay? I may not have known either of you for that long but I can tell that you both really do love each other."

Hyde smiled sadly, "I wasn't planning on giving up…not this time."

Anna smiled and pulled her hand back, "Good."

They sat in silence for a few moments as they ate their lunches feeling comfortable in each other's presence. Hyde was thinking about how strange it was that he was opening up to someone he barely knew when he couldn't seem to tell these things to any of the most important people in his life.

He chuckled to himself and Anna looked at him quizzically, "What?"

He just shook his head and smiled, "I'm just realizing how fucked up I really am."

Anna smirked back at him, "Don't feel too bad. We're all pretty fucked up…there is a club actually. We meet on Thursdays if you are interested in joining."

Hyde chuckled at her joke, "Save me a seat this week."

She lifted her sandwich and winked at him, "You got it."

He just laughed again and shook his head as he dug into his sandwich again. He wasn't quite sure when his life had gotten so messed up but he realized now he was the only one that could dig him out of this mess. It may take awhile for it to all get sorted, but for the first time in his life he was going to have to be patient and let it all play out.

He just hoped it played out in his favor…

* * *

**So what did you think? Let me know by sending it in a REVIEW! :) It only takes a second!**

The rest of the Point Place gang will be making appearance in either the next chapter or the one after so keep an eye out for it. Like I said I have it all planned out, I just need to write the actual chapters. And the quicker you review the more motivation I have to write them! 

**I hope everyone has a safe and happy last weekend of Summer! ENJOY! **


	13. Of What The World Can Do

**Hey guys, Sorry it's taken so long to update! I moved back into school on Monday so I've been pretty busy but I have the next chapter for all of you. I hope you like it! I have a wedding to go to this weekend but hopefully I will have the next chapter up by Sunday night. If you want to know what happens next, send in a review! You know how it gives me the motivation to write more quickly! Go on and READ! :) **

* * *

A week later, Jackie was going over to Hyde's after work to pick up Sadie who had been staying him for the past few days. They had made a schedule that worked for both of them but it was a strange concept to sometimes have a dog and other times not. Hyde could tell that Jackie felt more comfortable when she had Sadie wince she lived alone but she had been insisting on letting him also have time with her.

That night after work, he opened the door when Jackie got there and Sadie scrambled over to her excitedly. "There's my girl!" Jackie said practically knocking Hyde over to get to the dog.

Hyde laughed and just shook his head, "Well It's good to see you too Jackie."

She laughed as she stood back up with Sadie in her arms, "Sorry Steven." She stood up on her tip toes and kissed his cheek, "How are you?"

He shut the door and smiled, "I'm good. How are you?"

"Good." She said as she walked into the living room to play with Sadie, "How was Sadie the past two days?"

"She was good." Hyde said throwing her a ball to give to Sadie, "She missed you though…" He whispered as he collapsed onto the couch feeling tired.

Jackie smiled and nuzzled Sadie, "Aww…did you miss your Mommy Sadie girl?"

Hyde smiled as he watched them playing together, "I know we've talked about this before but I am okay with you having her full time…"

Jackie pouted as Sadie licked her hand affectionately, "But Sadie would miss her Dad…"

Hyde rolled his eyes, "She would still see me Jackie…"

She sighed and picked Sadie up and walked over to the couch to sit with Hyde, "I know but we did adopt her together…"

He shrugged, "To be honest…as much as I love having her here I would feel better knowing that she is with you all the time."

Jackie smirked at him, "Aww…Steven are you worried about me?"

He rolled his eyes again and leaned forward to scratch Sadie behind the ear, "Get bent Jackie…"

She giggled and nudged him, "Oh you are so worried!"

He sighed and shook his head, "Well you're so tiny…" He whispered nervously, "It will be good for you to have a watch dog or whatever…"

Jackie smiled knowing it was often hard for him to show his feelings, "Steven are you sure? I mean I'm okay without her…"

He shrugged, "If you have her full time it gives us more of a reason to get together often so I can see her, right?"

Jackie smiled at him, "I suppose that's true…"

He nodded slowly, "Then I'm totally okay with it."

She smiled and put a gentle hand on his arm, "You are just the sweetest man ever…"

He groaned and stood up, quickly walking towards the kitchen to get away from her, "Oh God…"

Jackie laughed and followed him, Sadie quickly jumped off the couch and pitter pattered over to follow them. "But you are!"

"Jackie I'm not sweet…" He said through gritted teeth, "I'm tough. I'm badass…I'm zen…"

She laughed and hopped up on the counter while he dug through the fridge, "But you are also sweet."

He sighed and handed her a beer, "I hate you."

"No you don't." She said with a smirk as she popped off the cap and took a sip. "Not even a little bit…"

He chuckled and leaned against the counter beside her, "You're right…I don't."

She smiled and looked down at Sadie who was rolling around on the ground beside them, "Hey so I was talking to Donna today…"

He raised an eyebrow at her as he held his beer to his lips, "How's it going with her?"

"Pretty good…" Jackie said shrugging, "Still a little bit of awkwardness but it will be fine." She paused, "Anyway…we were thinking maybe everyone could come out to visit us for Halloween. I mean we haven't seen Eric since he has been home and we haven't all been together in forever…"

Hyde set his beer down on the counter, "That would be cool."

She smiled, "Good because Donna already bought the tickets for them to all fly out here."

Hyde chuckled, "Good to know."

She shrugged and threw Sadie a treat, "You should know by now we do things even if you guys don't actually want to do them…"

He smirked and rolled his eyes as he threw his beer cap in the trash, "Oh I know…" He took another sip of his beer, "So what are we gonna do? You know they will be expecting some big party or something…"

"Well Anna was telling me that there are usually some pretty awesome parties at the clubs here in Seattle." Jackie said shrugging, "I'm sure we will find something to do."

He nodded, "Alright." He paused for a second before frowning, "Wait…I don't have to dress up do I?"

She rolled her eyes and hopped of the counter, "Steven its Halloween! Of course you have to dress up!"

He groaned, "Jackie…I hate dressing up."

She sighed, "It's just one night Steven! And I mean you don't even really know anyone here still since you are a complete hermit…what do you care what people think of you?"

He glared at her, "I am not a complete hermit. I have friends." He scoffed.

She rolled her eyes, "Steven…who do you hang out with besides me and you're friend Conner from work?"

He opened his mouth to respond and then sighed, "No one…"

She smirked, "My point exactly." She grabbed her beer and started to skip towards the couch again, "Therefore you can dress up and not worry about what anyone thinks of you."

He shook his head and followed her to the couch, "Fine but I'm picking my costume. I refuse to let you dress me up in some fruity outfit."

"Fine you big baby…" She said chuckling as Sadie jumped up on the couch to snuggle with her.

Hyde sat down beside her and put his beer on the table beside him, "So what else did Donna say? I only really talked to Eric once since he's been home because I've been pretty busy with work. What's going on with him and Donna?"

Jackie shrugged, "Donna says nothing right now…but I'm sure they will get back together soon. She said it was kind of hard to see him after all this time but I'm sure they'll get used to it."

"Yeah. They always get back together. They're in love…" He agreed.

There was an awkward tension for a moment as they thought about how different it was for Donna and Eric compared to them. They both wished their relationship could be as easy as Eric and Donna's so often was. But it was much more complicated…

Jackie cleared her throat nervously and smiled at him, "Yeah so they will get here on the twenty-ninth and then they are leaving on the second so we have a few days together." She said trying to change the subject.

"Are they staying with you or me?" He asked.

Jackie chuckled, "Well Kelso called and told me he already called my bed…"

Hyde couldn't help but feel jealous, he tensed and it didn't go unnoticed by Jackie. "Oh yeah?"

Trying to ease the tension she smiled gently at him, "I told him the closest he is getting to sleeping with me would be in a cardboard box in the alley outside my apartment building." She said with a smirk.

His muscles relaxed and he nodded slowly, "I'm sure he didn't take that well."

Jackie laughed, "Actually he said as long as some girl would want to sleep there with him it would be fine…"

Hyde rolled his eyes, "What a whore…"

She smirked and shrugged, "But actually I don't know what to do about sleeping arrangements. Anna is going away for the week so I don't have to work , they can stay at my place too but there is probably more to do here than in Tacoma."

Hyde nodded and shrugged, "Well there really is no point in people driving back and forth every time we want to do something."

She nodded, "I suppose we could get a few hotel rooms."

"I think everyone would be fine with crashing here. I mean this couch pulls out so two people can sleep here and then two people can crash on the floor for a few nights. We can take turns or whatever."

Jackie smiled at him, "You won't mind opening your apartment to five people and a dog for a few days?"

Hyde shook his head, "They invaded my basement for years…I think I can handle a couple of days or so."

She laughed, "That's true." She smiled and pulled her legs up to her chest, "I'm really glad that you are okay with this Steven. I think it's going to be a lot of fun!"

He nodded, "It will be good to see everyone. It's been to long since we all hung out."

Jackie smirked, "Who do you think will get arrested first?"

Hyde chuckled, "I say Fez and Kelso get arrested together…"

She laughed and playfully teased him, "What about you? I think you have the biggest record out of all of our friends."

He scoffed, "Yeah thanks to you…I still can't believe I had to go to jail for you…"

She smirked, "You didn't have to go to jail for me…you chose to go to jail for me."

Hyde glared at her, "Jackie you wouldn't last two seconds in jail…"

She cocked her head to the side and smiled, "That's because I'm to pretty for jail Steven…"

He shook his head and laughed, "Okay…whatever…"

Jackie gasped and hit his arm playfully, "Steven admit that I'm too pretty for jail!"

He stared at her like she was crazy and crossed his arms over his chest, "No way."

She huffed and narrowed her eyes at him, "Admit it!"

He shook his head and stared her down, "Nope."

She sighed and then pouted sadly, "Steven…you don't think I'm pretty?"

He knew what she was doing and he wanted to hold his ground, but her pouty face always broke him down and he sighed, "Jackie…" She pouted even more and he smiled at her, "You know you are pretty. You're beautiful…everyone knows it."

Her heart skipped a beat at his words and her pout quickly turned into a radiant smile, "Aww…thank you Steven."

His face blushed and he turned away from her, "Just telling the truth."

Jackie smiled at him and fought the urge to kiss him, "You're not so bad looking yourself there Mr. Hyde…"

He smirked and turned back towards her, "Oh honey I know how good looking I am."

She giggled and slapped him playfully, "But you're an ass sometimes."

He laughed and scooped up Sadie, "You want to stay for a bit?"

She smiled and nodded slowly, "I'd like that…"

He nodded and grabbed his beer off the table…he really loved spending time with Jackie. Now if he could just kiss her again…life would be pretty close to perfect.

* * *

Before they knew it, October twenty-ninth was here and it was time to pick up the gang from the airport. Jackie had to work that morning and she was at the store with Anna who was heading out to LA for the week when Jackie left.

Anna smiled as she saw how excited and happy Jackie seemed, "I guess you are happy to see your friends again."

Jackie smiled, "I can't wait! It's been so long since we all hung out together. I think it will be great!"

"Are you worried at all about how you and Donna will be together?" Anna asked curiously.

Jackie sighed, "I mean…I still have some things I need to get over when it comes to Donna. She really hurt me but we've been talking on the phone and it seems like she really wants to make up for everything that happened with Sam." She shrugged as she finished up her work, "I think if I found it in me to forgive Steven…I should be able to forgive Donna."

Anna nodded, "Well that's good. You guys have been friends for a long time, I'm sure you will work it out."

"I hope so. I know I left Point Place…but my friends really are important to me." Jackie said softly.

"I know. You're a great friend Jackie." Anna said smiling.

Jackie smiled back at her, "Thank you Anna. So are you." She closed the photo album she was working on and went to reach for her keys. "So I am going to head out of here. I need to run home and grab Sadie before I head over to Steven's and then we have to go to the airport to meet everyone."

Anna nodded, "Okay. I'm heading out soon anyway."

Jackie put on her coat and smiled, "Are you excited to go to LA?"

Anna smiled, "Definitely. I am visiting some old friends from Arizona who I haven't seen in a few years. It should be good."

"Alright well have fun and be safe!" Jackie teased her as she leaned in to hug her, "I'll see you when you get back."

Anna hugged her back, "Sounds good. Have fun with your friends too. Don't do anything I wouldn't do…"

Jackie laughed and waved to her as she walked out the door. She drove to her apartment and finished packing her bag and all of Sadie's stuff. Then she drove off to Hyde's apartment and they went straight to the airport in her car because it was bigger. They were standing at the gate and Jackie was practically jumping up and down with excitement beside him and he just laughed.

"Would you calm down?" Hyde said as he looked out for his friends.

"St-_e_-ven!" Jackie yelled in excitement, "We haven't all been together in forever!"

He laughed, "Really? I thought we were together last week…"

She huffed and punched him on the arm, "Stop being a jerk and keep looking for them!"

"Fine." They were quiet for a few moments before Hyde started chuckling, "There they are…"

Jackie turned to look where he was staring at and she sighed. "Oh good God…"

Walking towards them, Donna and Kelso were carrying up Eric who looked like he was ready to pass out. Fez was walking behind them trying to juggle all of their luggage since Kelso and Donna were otherwise occupied.

Jackie and Hyde walked over to them to meet them, "What the hell happened to Eric?" Jackie asked.

"Hey look everyone! It's the devil!" Eric yelled as he leaned against Kelso's side, "Oh how I've missed you little devil…"

Jackie glared at him, "Would you stop calling me the devil you star wars geek!"

Eric leaned forward and touched Jackie's nose gently. "Boop." He laughed and did it again. "Boop!"

Jackie swatted his hand away, "What the hell are you doing?"

"You have such a tiny little nose Devil…" He laughed some more. "Who knew the devil was so tiny?"

Hyde groaned, "At first I was excited to see you Forman…but now I remember how much of a freak you actually are."

Donna sighed, "We hit some turbulence and Eric freaked out so Kelso gave him a drink…and then gave him a bunch of anxiety pills. Turns out they don't mix so well together…"

Eric turned his attention to Hyde and his smile grew, "Hey I know you…" He said reaching out a hand to him, "You're that orphan kid that lived in my basement!"

Hyde sighed and turned to Kelso, "Kelso…you know Eric can't handle more than a few drinks. And then you add pills into the mix? Christ…if he throws up on the way home I'm gonna kill you."

Kelso pouted, "How was I supposed to remember all that? He's been in Africa forever!"

Jackie sighed, "I should have known Eric would ruin our reunion…"

Fez smiled and reached out to her, "Oh he can't ruin our reunion my beautiful goddess. I have been so looking forward to seeing you!"

Jackie smiled and pulled him in for a hug, "I've missed you too Fez!"

"Come here and give me a hug Jackie!" Kelso said reaching for her as he let go of Eric who quickly fell to the ground. "Opps…"

Donna groaned, "Damn it Kelso!"

Hyde groaned and quickly scooped up Eric, "When do you guys go home?"

Jackie giggled and they all made their way out to the car to go back to Hyde's apartment.

* * *

Back at the apartment, Donna was in Hyde's room putting Eric to bed. They picked up a few pizza's on the way home and were sitting around eating and drinking.

"So how's the new job Jackie?" Fez asked her.

Jackie smiled, "I love it! Anna is great and I have a lot of fun taking pictures. Just so you know…I'll be taking a lot of pictures while you guys are here. I need some to put up in my apartment."

Kelso was sitting on the floor playing with Sadie, "Man this is awesome! I can't believe you guys got a dog! I freaking love dogs!"

Jackie rolled her eyes, "Oh we know…"

Hyde grimaced, "Kelso I swear to God…if you French kiss that dog I'm gonna kick your ass."

Kelso sighed, "I don't French kiss dog's Hyde. But I would like to French kiss Jackie…"

Jackie glared at him as she saw Hyde tense up behind her, "In your dreams Michael…"

"Funny you should say that…" Kelso said with a smirk, "You were in my dream last night and you were very, very naughty. You were using your new photography skills to take some pictures of us doing it!"

Hyde started to nervously tap his foot on the ground trying to fight the urge to punch Kelso in the face. Jackie could sense this and she knew that she had to try and diffuse all the tension if they were going to be able to have a fun week all together. Otherwise…things would be going downhill really fast.

"Michael…we are never going to do it again." She said seriously, "So get that thought out of your head you pig."

Kelso sighed and rolled his eyes, "Oh whatever…you know you miss me."

She rolled her eyes and looked over at Hyde who still looked angry, luckily Donna came out of the bedroom which quickly made Kelso forget about what they had been talking about.

Donna sighed and sat down next to Fez on the couch, "He's asleep."

"If he throws up in my bed I'm making him buy me a new bed." Hyde said seriously.

Donna laughed, "I put a bucket beside his bed just in case but I think he pretty much threw everything up that was in his system already."

"He better have…" Hyde said groaning.

Donna laughed, "So Jackie what are you going to be for Halloween?"

Jackie smiled, "Do you want to see my costume?"

"Oh is it slutty!" Fez said with an excited smile.

"I wouldn't say slutty but it definitely is sexy." Jackie said getting up, she beckoned for Donna to follower her. "Come on. Its in Steven's room. Eric is such a deep sleeper he won't hear us."

"Why can't we see the costume?" Kelso asked curiously.

"Because I want it to be a surprise!" Jackie said as Donna followed her into Hyde's room.

Jackie went to her bag and took out her costume to show Donna, "I'm going to be Jeannie!" She said excitedly.

Donna smiled at took the costume and even noticed the blonde wig, "Oh the guys are gonna flip!"

Jackie laughed, "I know!"

Donna smiled again and then put the costume down beside her, she looked over and saw that Eric was still fast asleep. Nervously she cleared her throat and shifted in her seat before she turned back to Jackie.

"Hey Jackie…I uh…I've been wanting to talk to you about some stuff." Donna said nervously.

Jackie picked up the costume and put it back in her bag, "Okay…"

Donna sighed and sat down on the floor beside the bed and Jackie sat down across from her. "I know I hurt you when I became friends with Sam…and I never meant to do that."

Jackie looked down at the ground as Sadie pitter-pattered into the room and snuggled up to her side, "Then why did you do it?"

Donna shrugged and smiled sadly. "I think I was just so angry that Eric had left that I did want to do anything that reminded me of him…"

"But you stayed friends with the guys…wouldn't they remind you more of Eric?" Jackie asked feeling confused.

Donna nodded, "I guess so…I was just so confused about everything Jackie. I wasn't being myself and I'm so sorry that I hurt you…"

Jackie was quiet for a few moments before she responded, "Donna I know you were sad about Eric leaving…but I was hurting too about Steven. And watching you befriend the person that took him away from me absolutely killed me. You were supposed to be my best friend…"

"I know…" Donna whispered sadly.

"And I know that I'm not the perfect friend either…I know I can be shallow and immature. Sometimes I say things that might be offensive to you and I apologize for that…" She paused again, "But I think I was always there for you when you needed me…"

Donna nodded. "You were. No one is perfect Jackie but you are a good friend. And I know I have a lot to make up for. But I hope you can forgive me someday…"

Jackie smiled and reached for her hand, "I think we're going to be okay…"

Donna smiled and squeezed her hand back, "I've missed you midget…"

Jackie laughed, "I've missed you too lumberjack…"

Just then Eric rolled over in bed and smiled, "Oh yeah…now lean and give her a kiss on the lips Donna."

Donna and Jackie both turned to look at him and Donna rolled her eyes, "God you're a pig Eric…"

Jackie laughed and smiled at him, "How are you feeling Eric?"

Eric sighed and sat up and rubbed his forehead, "Like a tiny little man is pounding a hammer inside my head…"

Jackie laughed and shook her head, "Go back to bed Eric. If you ruin the rest of our week I'm going to kill you."

Eric yawned and rolled over again, "It's good to see you too Devil…"

"Shut up Foreplay." Jackie spat back at him as she rolled her eyes.

Soon after the girls could hear Eric snoring and Donna just laughed as she turned back to Jackie, "Sometimes I wonder why I love him…"

Jackie smiled, "Does that mean you guys are back together?"

Donna shrugged and her cheeks burned with embarrassment, "I'm not sure…but we did kiss the other night."

Jackie laughed and shook her head, "It was only a matter of time…"

Donna rolled her eyes, "Shut up…you're the one that adopted a dog with your ex-boyfriend."

Jackie pouted, "Steven and I are just friends…"

Donna laughed and leaned against the side of Hyde's bed, "Oh sure…"

Jackie sighed and pulled Sadie closer to her, "We are!"

Donna glared at her, "So you are going to tell me that you have absolutely no romantic feelings for him at all?"

Jackie sighed and lifted Sadie up to kiss her head, "It's just all so confusing Donna. I mean he broke my heart…I don't know how to just forgive him for everything that happened."

"How can you even hang out with him if you are still as upset as you are?" Donna asked curiously.

Jackie pouted and held Sadie close, "Because I missed him so much…"

Donna smiled sympathetically at her friend, "He does love you ya know…"

Jackie sighed, "But sometimes love isn't enough Donna…"

"So what does that mean? You never want to get back together with him?" She asked.

Jackie shrugged, "I'm not sure. Right now I really love being friends with him. We have a lot of fun together and it feels so good to have him back in my life."

"But you moved out here to get away from him…" Donna pointed out.

Jackie looked back at her as Sadie ran out of the room. "Red says it's fate that we both ended up here…"

Donna smiled, "And what do you think it is?"

"I don't know…" Jackie whispered, "I mean I was shocked when I saw Steven for the first time. What are the chances that we would both end up out here?" She shrugged again and smiled sadly, "If anything I think it means that there are things we still need to figure out…"

"So do you want closure?" Donna asked curiously, "Do you want to just be able to let it all go and move on?"

Jackie pouted, "I just want it to stop hurting…"

"Have you talked anymore about the ring?" Donna asked.

Jackie shook her head, "We pretty much try and avoid anything that has to do with our past relationship. It's just easier that way…otherwise things would get too damn complicated."

"You can't avoid it forever…" Donna whispered.

Jackie sighed, "I know. But it's just been so nice having him back in my life…and I don't want to ruin it."

"The longer you wait the harder it's going to be to talk about it…" Donna pointed out.

"I know…" Jackie whispered as she looked back at Eric who was still asleep, "Do you still want to marry Eric?"

Donna smiled and nodded slowly, "Yeah. I do. Someday…" She paused and then asked the question she had been wanting to know the answer to the most, "Would you have said if he asked you to marry him?"

Jackie smiled as tears burned in her eyes, "I would never have even given it a second thought. I love him…"

"Well I have a feeling that your story is far from over…" Donna said with a smile, "Don't give up just yet…"

Jackie smiled at her old friend, "I'm really glad you are here Donna…"

"I'm glad to be here." Donna said with a smile, and then her face fell and she groaned, "By the way…I still totally hate you for leaving me with tweedle dumb and tweedle dee…"

Jackie laughed, "Which one's which?"

Donna smirked, "It changes day to day…"

Jackie smiled and stood up and put out a hand for Donna to take, "Come on…it's only a matter of time before Steven punches one of them. We don't want to miss all the action."

Donna laughed and put her arm around Jackie as they walked out into the living room. The guys were sitting around the table playing poker as they joined them.

Jackie sat down beside Hyde who handed her a beer and raised an eyebrow at her, he leaned into her and whispered, "Everything okay with you two?"

Jackie smiled and accepted the beer, "It's getting there…"

Hyde nodded, "Cool…"

She giggled and nodded in agreement, "Yeah cool…"

He winked at her and turned back to the game, even though there were things that still had to be worked out between all of them…it was definitely good to be back together. It had been way to long…

* * *

**I hope you liked the chapter :) Send in a review to see what happens next!**

**Here's a little preview of what's to come!**

**The gang heads to a Halloween party and craziness ensues as always. Hyde's protectiveness over Jackie shows and he finally has to confront his friendship with Kelso and decide if he can get past everything that has happened in the past. **


	14. And It's Breaking My Heart In Two

**Hey guys! I'm SOOOOO sorry that it has taken me so long to update. I've been so busy with getting back into school, it's proving to be a tougher semester than I had anticipated. But anyway I finally took the time today to finish Chapter 14 for all my faithful and patient readers. I hope you enjoy it!**

**Don't forget to send in a review when you finish reading it! Thanks! **

* * *

On the night of Halloween, the gang was impatiently waiting in Hyde's living room for the girls to be finished getting ready. Fez was sitting on the couch eating giant candy bar in his Willy Wonka costume, Eric was watching TV beside him dressed in his Superman costume and Kelso was sitting on the floor playing with Sadie in his Gene Simmons costume.

Hyde was sitting in his recliner feeling rather annoyed that they were waiting around for the girls. "Hyde who are you supposed to be?" Fez asked him.

Hyde looked down at his Rolling Stones shirt and shrugged, "Mick Jagger."

Kelso rolled his eyes, "Mick Jagger doesn't wear his own bands t-shirt Hyde…"

"He does now…" Hyde said as he pushing himself up off the chair to go get another beer, "I was not about to dress up and look like tools like the three of you." He put the beer to his lip and smirked, "Although I'm surprised Forman went for Superman…I figured he'd have some Star Wars costume picked out."

Eric frowned sadly, "Well I tried to find my Luke Skywalker costume but I think my Dad might have burned it when I went to Africa."

Hyde chuckled, "Man do I miss Red Forman…"

Eric glared at him, "Hey man…I worked for three months overtime at Pricemart to pay for that damn costume! It was an original!"

Hyde rolled his eyes again, "But I didn't miss you…"

Kelso just laughed and got up to walk towards the kitchen as Eric continued to glare at Hyde, "This is great. No one else gets how much fun burning your friends can be. I've missed hanging out like this."

"I know. So have I." Fez said with a sad pout, "Why did you have to move to Seattle Hyde?"

Hyde shrugged, "We all gotta grow up sometime man…I figured it was now or never."

"Well I would have preferred never." Fez said as he continued to chew on his chocolate bar for comfort.

Hyde chuckled, "I'm sorry Fez. It's not like I'll be gone forever. I'm gonna come home and visit soon, I promised Mrs. Forman I'd be back for the Holidays."

"But what happens after that? You'll just come back here and forget all about us…" Fez said sadly.

Eric smiled at Fez and patted him on the back, "You have to understand Fez…the real reason Hyde is out here is because he is whipped by one raven haired beauty we call Jackie Burkhart."

The boys all laughed and Hyde just glared at him, "I'm not whipped Forman. I didn't even know she was living out here when I decided to move…"

"So you say…" Eric said trying to tease his friend.

"It doesn't even matter okay? Jackie's made it pretty clear that she just wants to be friends." Hyde said lifting the bottle up to his lips to take a swig.

"So does that mean if I nail her tonight you won't get mad?" Kelso asked as he reached for the bowl of candy on the counter.

Hyde quickly reached over and frogged Kelso on the arm, "No it doesn't man!"

Kelso jumped and knocked over the bowl of candy, sending the contents all over the floor leaving Sadie and Fez to jump at the chance to retrieve them. "Damn Hyde!"

Eric got up and started to pick up the candy to avoid an inevitable stomach ache from either the dog or Fez but he continued to talk to Hyde, "So does that mean you still want to be with her?"

"Of course I do man." Hyde said feeling his heart pound in his chest, "But why are we even talking about this? It's no one's business but me and Jackie…"

When Eric was finished picking up the candy he stood up and walked towards his old friend, "I guess I just don't want to see you get hurt Hyde…"

Hyde pretended to be grateful for his friend's concern by placing a hand on his heart, "Oh Forman…it's so good to have such a protective friend like you." He paused and then blew a raspberry in his face, "I can take care of myself ya dillhole."

Eric sighed and wiped the spit off of his face, "Yeah I know you can Hyde…but you and Jackie don't have the greatest track record."

"And why should I be taking advice from you? It's not like you and Donna have had the smoothest of journeys…" Hyde said crossing his arms over his chest.

Eric nodded in agreement, "True enough…but I never married another woman."

"And by woman he means stripper…" Kelso said leaning his head in between them.

Hyde quickly frogged Kelso again who quickly ran from Hyde's wandering fists, "Will all of you just butt the hell out?"

Eric sighed and nodded, "Sure man…whatever you want."

Hyde nodded slowly. "Thank you…"

Just then the bedroom door opened and Jackie and Donna exited both wearing their costumes. The boys looked on in amazement as they looked at Donna who was dressed up like Stevie Nicks and Jackie donning her Jeanie outfit.

Jackie crossed her arms in front of her and blinked, "What do you think?"

"Damn Jackie…" Kelso said walking closer to her, "You are hotter than the real Jeanie in that outfit."

Jackie giggled and tossed her hair back, "Well of course I am Michael. Was there any doubt in that?"

Donna laughed and shook her head, "Come on…we better go or we are going to miss all the best parties."

The six old friends started to walk out of the apartment leaving only Jackie and Hyde for a moment.

She quickly leaned down to Sadie and kissed her on the head, "Now you be good Sadie girl. We will be back later on tonight…don't you worry."

"She'll be fine Jackie…" Hyde said trying to avoid staring at her bare midriff and enticing cleavage.

Jackie pouted and kissed her one last time before standing up to face him, "I just hate to leave her all alone. Especially at night…"

He swallowed hard trying to think of anything but throwing her up against the wall and making love to her in that outfit, "It's only for a few hours Jackie…"

She sighed and looked at Sadie and then back at him, "Fine." She paused and stared more intently at him, "Wait a second…you aren't dressed up as anything."

Hyde looked down at his shirt, "I told you once before…this is the official outfit of Rock n' Roll Jackie…it is most definitely a costume."

She rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "You are impossible Steven J. Hyde..."

"So they tell me…" He said with a smirk.

She just laughed and reached for his hand as she dragged him out of the apartment, "Come on!"

Hyde just smiled after her as she pulled into him into the hallway where their friends were all waiting.

* * *

An hour later, they had settled on a party down in the center of the city in one of the clubs. There was loud music, lots of costumes, flowing drinks and plenty of other substances. Hyde was standing in the corner where he and his friends had decided to stake out as he watched Jackie, Donna, Fez and Kelso dance together to the ABBA song that was currently playing.

"Get a few drinks in some people and they'll dance to any thing…even if it's crap." Eric said shaking his head as he leaned into Hyde to talk to him.

Hyde shook his head and grimaced, "Not enough alcohol could make me dance to ABBA."

"What if it meant getting a little action with the devil?" Eric said teasingly.

Hyde turned and glared at him, "I thought we agreed not to talk about me and Jackie anymore…"

Eric laughed and shook his head, "No. You agreed not to talk about it. I enjoy talking about it because it makes you uncomfortable."

Hyde rolled his eyes, "Grow up Forman."

Eric was quiet for a moment and then leaned into him again to talk over the loud music, "What are you trying to accomplish Hyde? I mean what do you think is going to happen by being her friend?"

Hyde sighed but never took his eyes off of Jackie, who was laughing away as she twirled and danced, she was absolutely mesmerizing to him. "I want her to trust me again."

"And what if she never does?" Eric asked honestly, "What if she finds someone else? What are you going to do then?"

Hyde shrugged, "I'd like to say that I'd be okay with it…that I could still be her friend. But I guess we both know that's not true."

"Are you going to take off again and marry someone else if she rejects you in the end?" Eric asked.

Hyde sighed and turned back to him, "No. I'm not doing that again Forman. I fucked up. I know I fucked up and I'm paying for it now. I won't say that this is easy because it's not…it sucks. I hate this stupid game we're playing right now but it is what it is. And at the end of the day…I want her to be happy. No matter what that means…"

"But you just said that you wouldn't be able to still be her friend if she finds someone else…" Eric said feeling confused.

Hyde turned back to Jackie as he answered, "What other choice do I have Forman? If she wants someone else…then that's what I have to deal with. But in all of this I've realized that I need her in my life in some way. So if it just means as a friend…then so be it. I'll have to learn how to deal with it…"

Eric was quiet as he watched his best and oldest friend watch the women he loved, "When did you grow up?" He asked nonchalantly.

Hyde chuckled and turned back to him as he lifted his beer to his lips, "I'm not quite sure…but I assume it was somewhere along the lines when Jackie left Point Place."

"You really do love her…" Eric whispered finally getting it.

Hyde sighed and nodded slowly, "Yeah. I do."

Eric nodded and turned back to the rest of their friends. "Well then I hope things work out for you guys."

"Thanks Forman." He said with a small smile.

Eric just smiled but never took his eyes off of the rest of their friends. Just then, Kelso stumbled over and fell down beside Hyde with a goofy look on his face.

"Man this is such a great party!" He said grabbing Hyde's beer.

Hyde glared at him and then frogged his shoulder, grabbing his beer back. "Get your own drink moron."

Kelso scoffed and rubbed his shoulder and sighed, "Damn Hyde…that hurts."

Hyde rolled his eyes, "Good! It was supposed to."

Kelso stuck his tongue out at him and then looked back at the girls and Fez, "So how drunk do you think Jackie will have to be for me to have a chance at getting her in bed tonight?"

Hyde's jaw immediately clenched and he started to tap his foot on the ground. None of this went unnoticed by Eric, unfortunately for them the same couldn't be said for Kelso…

"I mean…" Kelso grabbed another beer and sat back on the couch they were lounging on, "Damn does she look good in that outfit! It's one like of my wildest fantasies come true!"

Eric looked at Hyde out of the corner of his eye whose foot was tapping even faster now, "Kelso man…cool it."

It didn't seem that Kelso heard what Eric said, or he didn't seem to care. "In fact I did have a fantasy once about Jackie being Jeanie and me the Master…I'd like to play that out for real." He took a swig of his beer and turned to Hyde, "Think she'll go for it?"

Eric held his breath and waited for Hyde's fist to collide with Kelso's nose. There was a tense few moments before Hyde quickly stood up and stormed off towards the back door.

"What's his problem?" Kelso asked with a confused expression.

Eric shook his head, "Man when are you gonna get that it pisses him off when you talk about Jackie like that?"

"Oh come on…I'm just kidding." Kelso said rolling his eyes.

"Are you though?" Eric asked, "If you had the chance would you try and sleep with her?"

Kelso shrugged and smiled slyly, "Well I am a man Forman…of course I'd sleep with her if I got the chance."

"Kelso, Jackie doesn't want you. Stop making comments like that. Why can't you just respect that Hyde actually cares about her?" Eric asked.

"Forman you are taking this way to seriously…" He said laughing as he turned back to his friends.

"No I'm not. And if you don't start taking it seriously…you're gonna lose Hyde as a friend forever." Eric said standing up to go dance with the girls and Fez.

Kelso was quiet where he sat for a few moments thinking about what Eric had said. He thought that Hyde understood that he was just joking when he made comments about Jackie. I mean yeah he wouldn't mind hooking up with her again…she was hot and he was only human.

But was it more than just a fling with Jackie and Hyde? Could Hyde really have true feelings for Jackie?

As he watched his friends minus Hyde dancing he wondered if their lives would ever go back to the way they used too…would they ever be all together in the Forman's basement again? Man did he miss those days…

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Hyde was still outside leaning against the railing of the balcony of the club. He was smoking a cigarette and still trying to calm down after hearing what Kelso had to say about Jackie and even what Eric had said.

What was he doing here in Seattle? He was friends with her…at least he thought he was. They had a dog together, they hung out all the time…but what the hell did it all mean?

What did he want this all to lead too? Well he knew what he wanted…he wanted to get back together with her but what did she want?

Did she want a future with him? Did she want to get back together and get married someday? Or did she just enjoy having him as a friend? Did she enjoy dragging him along for the ride with no answers?

He hated this feeling.

And yet standing there in the cold October night he realized what was happening…this was exactly how she had felt when they were together years ago. She had wanted it all…she wanted the big wedding, white picket fence and the 2.2 kids with him…

But he had strung her along, never letting her know how he felt or what he wanted from her. For the first time in forever…he felt truly and completely sorry for the way he had treated her.

Boy had he blown it…

Sighing, he threw his cigarette butt over the balcony and into the street before turning back to the door. He walked into the club and made his way through the crowded room looking for his friends.

When he finally found them, he noticed that Jackie was missing. "Where's Jackie?" Hyde asked as he leaned in towards Donna.

Donna looked around and her face turned a little red, "Uh…she went to dance with some guy…"

His heart lurched in his chest and he looked out towards the dance floor to see if he could spot her, "Who was he?"

Donna sighed and leaned towards him so he could hear her, "You can't get mad Hyde…"

He knew she was right but he didn't really care, "I'm not mad."

Donna nervously looked towards the guys who were watching his every move. She walked towards Eric and nudged him gently, "Do you think we should find Jackie and head out of here? I don't want the night to end with Hyde being dragged off by a cop for beating the crap out of some guy who Jackie's with…"

Eric sighed and walked towards Hyde, "Hey Hyde man…why don't we call a cab and start rounding everyone up. This party's kinda lame anyway…we can head back to your apartment and drink there."

Hyde looked back at Eric, "Would you relax Erica? I'm fine…I just want to make sure Jackie's okay."

Donna looked around but didn't see her old friend, she sighed and leaned back into Hyde. "She probably just went to the bathroom or something. I'll go and find her okay? You just stay here…"

Hyde looked uncomfortable with the situation but he nodded and watched her walk away. He leaned against the bar and signaled for the bar tender to get him another beer quickly.

* * *

Donna was walking through the club looking closely at every brunette she laid her eyes on. But she couldn't seem to find Jackie anywhere…she walked down towards the back where the bathrooms were hoping she would find her there.

She pushed her way through the throngs of people and started to walk past the coatroom towards the girl's room. She was almost past the door when she suddenly heard an all to familiar loud shriek…

She stopped and put her ear against the door to the coatroom to listen carefully hoping to be able to hear the voices over the loud music booming through the hallway. "STOP! No! No STOP IT!"

Donna's heart started to pound and she reached for the door handle, "Jackie? Jackie open the door!"

"No! No I don't want to do this!" She heard the voice scream again.

Donna tried to ram the door quickly but nothing happened. Cursing she ran as fast as she could, knocking anyone and everyone over to get to the guys at the bar again.

"Donna?" Eric asked as he watched her run towards them. "What's the matter?"

Donna ignored him and stood in right in front of Hyde, talking as fast as she could. "That guy has Jackie in the coat room…she was screaming and begging him to stop. I can't get the door open!"

Hyde didn't wait for anyone to say anything else, instead he ran shoving everyone over to get to the back of the club. Kelso, Donna and Eric were following close behind as Fez went to get someone with a key to the door.

Hyde's heart was pounding in his chest as he finally got to the door; he paused and waited until he heard her voice. "Please! No! Let me go!"

Without thinking, Hyde started ramming the door with his shoulder but nothing was happening. Finally he pulled back and ran at the door full force with his foot out to kick down the door.

The door crashed open and Jackie shrieked again from her spot on the floor. Hyde didn't see anything or anyone else; he grabbed the guy on top of her and threw him across the room, holding him by the throat.

"You son of a bitch!" Hyde screamed as his other first came crashing into the guys face.

Donna and Eric quickly scooped Jackie up and pulled her out of the room. Donna threw her leather coat around Jackie's shoulder because her costume was all ripped exposing most of her skin to the wandering eye.

"Kelso stop him! He's going to kill him!" Donna screamed watching Hyde punch Jackie's attacker over and over.

Kelso jumped into action and tried to pry Hyde off of the guy, there was blood everywhere and Hyde shoved Kelso off of him, leaving a bloody handprint on his costume. Kelso stumbled back and looked at Jackie who was clinging to Donna and Eric as she watched in horror as Hyde punched the man over and over.

Kelso jumped back on Hyde just as Fez showed up with the owner and security of the club who burst into the room. Together, the two security guards and Kelso pried Hyde off of him and held him back as he tried to wriggle free.

"Let go of me!" Hyde screamed never taking his eyes off of the bloody and battered man on the floor.

"Calm down!" Kelso screamed trying to push Hyde up against the wall again.

"Get the fuck of me! I'm going to kill him!" Hyde screamed pushing against the three men again.

"Steven!" Jackie screamed turning her attention back to her ex-boyfriend.

Hyde stopped dead and turned towards Jackie, her costume was ripped, she had hand marks on her stomach and arms and her lip was bleeding. But as soon as his eyes met hers eh saw fear, and he immediately went slack in the men's arms.

"Steven no…" She pleaded wit him, "Please…"

Kelso slowly let his grip on Hyde lessen as he saw his friends face. He nodded at the security guards who also let go of Hyde who quickly stood up straight and walked towards Jackie in just a few strides.

Without saying anything to her, he scooped her up and carried her out of the room and out the back door. She didn't question him or protest, she just wrapped her arms around his shoulders and buried her face in his neck as she began to cry.

The four remaining friends and club workers stood in shock at what had just happened.

Donna cleared her throat nervously and turned to the club owner, "Are you going to have our friend arrested?"

The man shook his head slowly and turned towards the bloody man on the ground, "No. He was obviously defending her…"

"What happens to him?" Eric asked pointing at the perpetrator.

'I'm going to call the cops and an ambulance and tell them what happened. They may need to take your statements…" He whispered.

Kelso nodded, "We'll help in anyway we can."

Fez rounded up his three friends and pushed them back out into the hallway towards the fire exit that Hyde had walked out of with Jackie. Out on the curb they saw Hyde had set her down on the ground and he was still holding her. They stood back for a moment to let them have alone as Hyde set her down on the cold pavement and knelt down in front of her.

He lifted her chin slowly to meet her eyes, "Are you okay?"

She nodded slowly as tears fell down her cheeks, "He didn't…I fought him…I think I bit him at one point…"

Hyde smiled sadly, "You're tougher than you look. I've always known that…"

She swallowed the lump in her throat and shivered, "If you hadn't found us…-"

Hyde shook his head and moved closer to hold her again, "But I did. Donna came and got us and I got in there before anything happened…don't think about the what ifs."

"But Steven-" She whimpered in fear.

He put a hand to her lips and brushed the drop of blood there away, "Don't…it will only drive you crazy."

She sighed and gave in, she nodded and leaned into his embrace as he held her again. She was too tired to fight anymore…

"He really does love her…" Kelso whispered to Eric beside him.

Eric turned away from the scene in front of him to Kelso and nodded sadly, "Yeah. He really does…"

The loud music drowned out by the sound of the sirens that were coming towards them. And on that cold Halloween night…the six friends waited and wondered how the hell they had this had all happened…

* * *

Later that night after they had gone to the hospital and the police station to give their statements, the six friends were trying to relax and forget about all that had happened that night. Jackie had taken a long hot shower and was now curling up in bed with Sadie by her side trying hard not to cry.

She pulled Sadie up against her and buried her head in her soft fur as Hyde walked slowly into the room. He walked quietly up towards the bed and sat down beside her, reaching over he stroked Sadie on the back.

"Are you warm enough?" He whispered to her.

Despite the hollow feeling she was experiencing, she had to laugh at his question. She knew he had never really been good with saying the right thing in tough situations. But he was trying…and he had saved her.

She lifted her face from Sadie's fur and smiled gently at him, "Yes."

He sighed and pulled his hand away from Sadie as he sat it down on his lap as he turned away from her. "I uh…I just want you to know that I would never let anyone hurt you."

She rolled over onto her back and sat up, pulling Sadie up onto her lap. "I know…" She whispered pushing a strand of her wet hair out of her face.

He turned back to her slowly and cleared his throat, "Do you?"

She stared at him for a moment and then reached a gentle hand out towards him. "Yes. I do…"

He searched her eyes to make sure she really did believe and understand him. Then he nodded and leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead. "Get some sleep…"

She wanted to ask him to stay with her, to hold her all night so she would feel safe. But for some reason she held back and let him stand up as he made his way towards the door…

"Thank you Steven…" She had spoken so softly, he wasn't sure he had heard her but he turned back to her quickly and caught her eye. "For everything…"

He nodded quickly and then turned again as he flipped off the light to let her fall asleep. Jackie sighed as the door closed and lay back down as she pulled Sadie up against her and buried her face in her fur again as she began to cry.

She wasn't really sure what she was crying about anymore…was she more sad about what had happened tonight? Or the fact that she was afraid she would never be able to forgive Hyde completely?

* * *

As Hyde made his way back out to the living room, he saw his four friends sitting on the couch and floor looking nervous. He knew none of them knew exactly what to say. They had all been looking forward to being together again…but this wasn't how they had expected it to go.

It was like they had all been so nervous about being comfortable together again after everything they had been through, they weren't expecting anything else to happen…especially not this.

He took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead nervously, "The thing is…I didn't come here because I knew that Jackie was here. I had no idea…it just happened. I know most of you have never understood my relationship with her…but I don't feel like I have to explain it to you."

He lowered his hand and stared at them all, they were silent waiting for him to finish. "If you are our friends…then you should just accept and support whatever it is that Jackie and I are. And the truth is…at the moment I don't know what we are. I know what I want…and I know how I feel. I can't say the same for Jackie…but I honestly don't really care."

"What if she doesn't want to be with you?" Donna whispered nervously, "What happens to all of us then?"

Hyde stood there for a moment before answering, "That's her choice. And I'm gonna have to live with the fact that I ruined our relationship…"

"But are you going to take off again?" Fez asked sadly.

Hyde shook his head, "No. I won't."

Kelso took a deep breath and stood up as he made his way towards his old friend. "Hyde man…I'm really sorry."

"You've said that before…" Hyde said feeling frustrated.

Kelso nodded slowly, "Yeah I know. But I never really got it before…"

"What are you talking about Kelso?" Hyde asked feeling suddenly very tired.

"I didn't realize how much you actually loved her. I didn't' think it was real…" Kelso whispered. "But I see it now…"

"So what does that mean?" Hyde asked staring at his old friend curiously.

"It means…" He paused and put his hand out for Hyde to shake, "I promise that I won't interfere in your relationship anymore. I won't say anything about hooking up with her…or how I used to bang her. I'm backing off now…from here on you don't have to worry about me anymore…"

Hyde stared at Kelso, trying to find some hint of sarcasm in his voice but he couldn't hear any. He knew that what he meant was true and that whether or not Jackie eventually took him back, Kelso wasn't going to be a problem anymore. And for that…he was grateful.

"Thank you…" Hyde stuck his hand out and shook Kelso's hand firmly.

Kelso smiled. "So we're good?"

Hyde nodded, "We're good…"

Together they walked over to the couch and sat down with Eric, Donna and Fez. "So what happens now?" Eric asked.

Hyde sighed and reached for one of the beers on the table, "Now…we try and make Jackie feel as safe as possible to help her get over this…We let go of all the crap from the past and just move forward."

Donna smiled and reached for her own beer, "Look at you all grown up and mature…"

Hyde chuckled and shrugged, "Well I figured one of us had to do it…"

"Yeah but who thought out of the six of us you would do it first…" Eric said with a smirk.

"What can I say…I never liked being predictable." He said as he lifted his feet up on top of the coffee table.

The five friends just laughed and all lifted their beers to drink them. It had been a hell of a night…but the only thing that was sure was that they had somehow grown closer in the process.

* * *

**A little intense I know...but I hoped you liked it anyway. Don't forget to review and I will try and update soon now that I'm more comfortable with my schedule and routine. Thanks for being so patient! **


	15. Cuz I Never Want To See You Sad Girl

**Hey guys :) Once again thanks for the Reviews. I hope you continue to read and send in feedback. I have a lot going on in my life so writing this has been a real stress reliever for me so I hope that you send int he reviews so I can continue the story! **

* * *

The following afternoon, Jackie and Hyde had to drive the rest of the gang to the airport. Their visit had been much to short for all of their liking, and it didn't exactly end up the way they had expected or hoped. As they walked to the gate where they had to say goodbye, Donna quickly pulled Jackie to the side while they boys began to say their goodbyes.

"Are you going to be okay?" Donna asked Jackie staring at her with a concerned expression.

Jackie sighed and pulled her sweater around her shoulders tighter, "Donna I'm going to be fine. I wish you would all stop staring at me like I'm a piece of glass that's a bout to shatter…"

Donna frowned, "What happened last night…I can't imagine how you must be feeling."

Jackie looked up at her with a blank face and shrugged, "Honestly…I'm not feeling much of anything."

"But that's not good either…" Donna whispered shaking her head, "Maybe you should come home for awhile. You could stay with the Formans and-"

Jackie shook her head adamantly. "No. No way Donna. I'm not going back to Point Place. I've come so far and I'm not going backwards."

Donna stared at her short friend; she had always looked so small in her eyes. She always seemed so vulnerable and fragile, and yet she was beginning to see she was not only stubborn, but she was a hell of a lot stronger than people gave her credit for.

"Okay. Fine. I understand…" She whispered sadly.

Jackie nodded and smiled softly, "I won't pretend like it didn't scare me to death Donna. But you guys got to me before he could…" She paused and shivered at the thought of what could have happened, "All that matters is that it didn't get to that point. Okay?"

Donna nodded slowly and reached out a hand to Jackie's arm, "You know I'm here for you. I know I may not have been the best friend the past couple of months…but I'm here now." She smiled and shrugged, "Just a phone call away…"

Jackie smiled brighter and pulled Donna towards her, "Come here you crazy lumberjack…"

Donna laughed and hugged Jackie back, "I'm gonna miss you midget."

Jackie held her tighter and smiled, "I'll be home for Thanksgiving. I promise."

When Donna pulled away she looked at her sternly, "You better be…or I'll be on the next plane over with Mrs. Forman to drag your ass back home."

Jackie chuckled and linked her arm with Donna's as they walked towards the boys, "Duly noted."

The four guys smiled at the girls and Kelso pulled Jackie in for a tight embrace, "Don't stay out here too long…Point Place isn't the same without you guys."

Jackie smiled and hugged him back; "We will see you in a month."

Fez pouted and pushed Kelso away as he pulled Jackie towards him, "Ai…I hate saying goodbye. Especially to you my beautiful goddess."

Jackie smiled and held him close; "It's not forever Fezzie."

Eric stood back as their friends all hugged Jackie and then he sighed, "You know…the past few days I've learned you're not as bad as I thought you were."

Jackie shrugged, "I guess I could say the same thing about you…you know minus the whole throwing up for hours when you first got here." She said with a smirk.

Eric rolled his eyes as his friends laughed, "I was hoping we could put that behind us and never speak of it again…"

"We could…" Jackie said nodding, "But you do refer to me as the devil and so I have to live up to the name."

Eric laughed and pulled her in for a hug, "Well played Burkhart…well played."

She smiled and hugged him back, "Tell your parents I said hi and that I miss them."

"I will." He kissed her cheek and pulled away from her and said sincerely, "Take care of yourself…okay?"

She smiled at his concern. "I will."

He nodded and then walked back to Fez, Kelso and Donna as their flight was called. The four of them walked through the gate and waved one last time as Jackie and Hyde stood back and watched them all leave. They waited until the plane took off and then left the airport to go back to the car where Sadie was anxiously waiting.

Jackie sat in the passenger seat, and Sadie sat between them loving being in the car with her two favorite people. Hyde turned down the radio as he drove and looked over at Jackie who was staring out the window and stroking Sadie behind the ear.

"Are you in a rush to get back home?" He asked her, wanting to spend as much time with her as he could to make sure she was okay.

She turned back to him slowly and shook her head, "No. I'm in no rush. Why?"

He shrugged, "Want to hang out for a bit?"

She smiled and nodded, "I'd like that…"

He nodded before turning back to the road and driving until he came to the harbor in the city. Jackie hooked Sadie up to her leash and let her hop out of the car, she anxiously began to sniff around as Jackie and Hyde walked behind her.

"It was weird saying goodbye to them this time around…" Hyde said honestly.

Jackie looked over at them, "What do you mean?"

He shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets, "I don't know. It felt different than last time…"

Jackie stared down at the road as she talked to him, "I didn't actually say goodbye…so it wasn't that strange for me."

"No…you didn't." He whispered, the hurt evident in his voice.

She wrapped the leash around one of her hands and pushed some hair out of her face from the wind as she looked over at him, "I suppose we never really talked about that…"

"No. We didn't…I didn't think you would want too." He said shrugging.

Jackie walked over towards the dock and sat down, Hyde watched her for a few moments before he followed her. Sitting down beside her, he put an arm around Sadie who was staring down at the ducks in the water.

"I couldn't face you…" She whispered, never looking at him as she spoke. "I knew that seeing your face would make me want to stay…"

"I probably wouldn't have taken it that well if you did tell me you wanted to leave." Hyde said softly.

She turned towards him and said in a flat tone, "You probably would have told me to have a nice trip…"

He pursed his lips but couldn't help but laugh, she was definitely tougher than everyone gave her credit for. "Ouch…"

She raised an eyebrow and scoffed, "Yeah…ouch."

"Are you sure you want to talk about this right now? I'm sure you are really emotional after everything that has happened in the last 24 hours…" He said with concern evident in his voice.

Jackie sighed and pulled her legs up into and crossed them, she wrapped her sweater around her closer because the wind was picking up. "I think we've been avoiding it for long enough…"

"I didn't want to upset you…" He said honestly, "I was trying to take things at your pace."

She nodded and looked out back at the water, "Did you read the letter?"

"Yes." He let the answer hang in the air for a moment before continuing, "I didn't want too…I think at first I felt that if I did read it…it would make it all real."

"And what did you think of it?" She asked as she suddenly found the ducks very interesting to look at.

"It was very honest…" Hyde whispered as his voice cracked with emotion, "But I was actually expecting it to be a lot more aggressive than it was."

"What do you mean?" She asked turning back to him with a curious expression.

He smirked at her, "I guess I expected you to say that you hated me and that you didn't care if you ever saw me again."

She smirked, "That was in the first draft…but I scrapped it for some reason."

He chuckled, "Well I'm glad you did…" She smiled and turned back to the water again, "It mad me sad, and angry but not at you…at myself."

"Why?" She said in a small, pained voice.

"Because it was more evidence of just how much I had screwed things up…about how badly I had hurt you. And it killed me…" He said this while staring deep into her eyes, hoping that she would see how genuinely sorry he was and how much he actually cared.

Jackie felt her heart racing in her chest; she wondered if now was the right time to do this. But she realized there really was no turning back…and they had been avoiding it, which wasn't good either.

"Can I ask you something about Sam?" She asked in a soft, shaky voice.

He never took his eyes off of her as he nodded his head, "Sure."

She swallowed hard and licked her lips, her mouth felt very dry at the moment. "Did you want to marry her?"

He smirked and shook his head, "I was drunk…"

"Yes…but did you want to marry her?" She asked again, ignoring his answer.

Hyde sighed and rested his elbows on his knees. "No."

"Then why did you do it?" She asked, her eyes filling up with tears at the memory. "Why did you marry her when you said you couldn't marry me?"

He was quiet for a moment, he knew the answer but he was afraid this moment was going to push her away again. He reached beside him and picked a pebble up on the ground and tossed it into the harbor.

"When I left the hotel…I was in such a rage that everything was a complete blur." As he started to speak, she felt like she couldn't turn away form him even though he wasn't looking at her. "I remember getting into the car…and hearing you screaming after me…but I couldn't stop." He picked up another pebble and tossed it farther this time, "And when I got to Vegas…I went straight to the bar. I stared drinking as much as I possibly could…cuz the only thing I could see at that point was you and Kelso in a towel…"

"Steven I-" She started to say as her voice cracked, but he ignored her.

"I don't even know how long I was sitting at the bar, how many drinks I had…" He threw another pebble; Sadie tugged on her leash as if she wanted to jump in the water after it but Jackie pulled her back and continued to listen. "And then…somehow Sam ended up beside me…I don't even know what we talked about. But I just remember thinking…she is nothing like Jackie…"

"I still don't understand…" She whispered to him as Sadie continued to tug on her leash.

Hyde threw another pebble and then sighed, letting his hand fall into his lap. "I wanted to forget you ever existed. I want to erase any memory I had of you because I was so…" He paused and smiled sadly, feeling the lump in his throat grow he cracked out, "I was so hurt…"

Jackie let his words hang in the air for a few minutes, as he eyes burned with the tears that were threatening to spill over. She closed her eyes tightly and turned towards the water, unable to look at him any longer as the old feelings began to resurface.

"You believe me when I say nothing happened don't you?" She asked nervously.

Hyde nodded without turning to look at her, "Now I do."

"Why now? Why not then?" She asked turning back to him starting to feel angry.

He shook his head sadly and turned back to her, "Jackie how did you feel when Sam showed up and said she was my wife?"

Her heart flipped in her chest and she whispered, "Like someone had ripped out my heart and ripped it into a million pieces…"

He nodded slowly and turned his body towards her, "And you ran off right away." He paused, "Because you were hurt…because you couldn't' be in the same room as me…"

"And that's how you felt…" She said staring intently at him.

He nodded and then turned back to the water, "Exactly. That's how I felt. Even though now I know it's not true…at that moment I was so upset I couldn't listen to reason. And so I did a really stupid thing…and I'm going to spend the rest of my life regretting that I left without hearing you out…" He shrugged and began to throw pebbles again, "But it is what it is and I can't change it…I can only move on from it. And that's what I'm trying to do…"

All the emotions she had been feeling in the last few months felt so overwhelming. And after what happened yesterday, she felt so extremely exhausted she didn't think she could sit here any longer.

She sighed and wiped a tear away from her face as she laughed slightly to herself, "I'm so tired…"

Hyde nodded, still not looking over at her. "Me too Jackie…me too…"

They knew they had talked about enough today; it was time to let it drop before it went to far. Things were at a good place for them, and pushing it any further would only send them backwards rather than forwards.

They had the rest of their lives to hash out the past…

* * *

Later that day; Hyde drove Jackie back to her apartment in Tacoma. He helped her carry her bags upstairs to her floor and walked her and Sadie to the door.

Jackie unlocked it and walked inside, he followed her inside. "Thanks for your help…" She said as she threw her keys down on the table.

Hyde put her bags on the couch and turned back to her, "No problem."

She leaned down and unhooked Sadie from her leash and she immediately ran over to her water bowl leaving her parents alone.

Jackie rubbed her hands together nervously and looked around the apartment, "Um…so I have a couple of shoots to do this week with Anna. I don't know how much free time I'll have…"

He stared at her for a moment and wondered if what she was saying was true, or if she was saying it because she needed and wanted space. "Sure. I understand…"

She took a deep breath and turned back to him, "I can't thank you enough for saving me last night…"

He smiled at her, "You know I'd do it again in a heart beat…"

She smiled back and nodded, "I know…"

He took a step towards her and stared her straight in the eye, "I meant what I said to you last night Jackie…I won't ever let anyone hurt you."

She shoved her hands in her pockets, hoping he wouldn't see that they were shaking. "I know…" She whispered again.

He took a deep breath, leaned in to her and kissed her forehead again. "Call me if you need anything Jacks."

She watched him walk to the door and wanted nothing more than to run after him and hold him so tight he would never be able to leave. But she was so drained, every part of her body and mind felt like it was reaching their breaking point and she just wanted to close her eyes…

When he got to the door, he turned and looked at her as he opened it. He smiled once more before turning and walking through it without saying another word.

Jackie stared at the closed door for a what felt like an eternity until she felt Sadie pawing at her leg. She quickly snapped out of her daze and leaned down to scoop Sadie up, snuggling her neck to make herself feel safer.

"God do I love that man…" She whispered, feeling good about finally letting the words out but safe knowing that no one else could hear them.

* * *

The next day, Hyde was at work busy stacking a new shipment of records. He hadn't heard from Jackie at all last night and it had been hard not to call her and check in. However he had a feeling she wouldn't answer, she seemed like she just wanted to be on her own to think things through.

The last few days had been extremely draining. Hell…the last few months had been emotionally draining if he was being honest with himself. Sighing, he ran a hand through his unruly hair and made his way towards his office where he heard his phone ringing.

He sat down beside his desk and closed his eyes as he answered the phone, "Grooves. How may I help you?"

"Hey it's Eric…" He heard the person on the other end of the phone say.

Hyde relaxed a little and rested his head on the back of his chair, "Hey Forman. What's up?"

"I thought I should call and check in on everything, how's Jackie doing?" He asked sincerely worried about her.

"I'm not really sure…" Hyde said sadly, "We hung out for a bit after we dropped you guys off but then I took her home and I haven't heard from her since."

"I'm not really surprised…" Eric said sighing.

Hyde chuckled, "She's changed so much…usually she would cling to me if she was upset and needed something. But now…"

"Now she just wants to push you as far away as possible…" Eric said finishing Hyde's train of thought.

"Pretty much." He said reaching for his soda on the desk, he took a sip. "Do you know if she talked to Donna about what happened?"

"Not really. She just said Jackie said all that mattered was that it didn't result in anything because you got there first…" Eric said.

"I don't' know what I would have done if I hadn't gotten there in time…if I had walked in there and he was ra-" Hyde started feeling his blood boil and his muscles tighten.

"But that didn't happen. And we should all be grateful for that…" Eric said trying to reason with him.

Hyde was quiet before he talked again, "I don't know how to fix everything that's happened between us. I don't know how to fix her…"

"Something's can't be fixed…" Eric said sadly.

Hyde grunted, "Gee thanks Forman…cuz that's exactly what I want to hear."

"Look I'm sorry." Eric said sighing, "It's not like I want all this to be happening. I just don't want to see you get your hopes up that things will get better and then they don't…"

"So you don't think I have a chance at getting back together with her?" He asked.

"I don't know. It could really go either way…" Eric said to his old friend, "I feel like so much has changed over the last few years ya know? I never would have thought the six us would be where we are today…"

"What? Did you think we were all going to be in the basement forever?" Hyde asked with a sad chuckle.

"It would have been nice, don't you think?" Eric asked.

Hyde smiled, thinking about how close they all had been at one point. "Yeah. It would have been nice. I'd give anything to go back to those days…as boring and dramatic as it all seemed at the time…it was a hell of a lot better than our lives right now."

"Then why don't you just come home Hyde?" Eric asked hopefully. "Maybe that's what you need to do…"

"You know I can't do that Forman…" Hyde said feeling tired again.

"But why not? What is staying out there accomplishing? I know you didn't know she was going to be there when you left…but now it just seems so freaking complicated. Maybe if you come home you will be able to get a better perspective on things…" Eric said trying to reason with him.

"I can't leave her Forman…especially not now." Hyde said honestly.

"If she doesn't want to be with you then what are you doing?" Eric asked, trying to understand his reason for staying.

"Even if she doesn't want to be with me in that way…I owe it to her to support her now." Hyde said with confidence, "I was never there for her in the way she deserved before. I need to help her get back on her feet again…No I didn't know she was going to be here when I moved. But now she's here…and I won't leave her alone again."

"And what if she takes off again?" Eric asked feeling nervous.

"Well I'll cross that bridge when and if I come to it…" Hyde said feeling his heart race in his chest at the thought of her leaving him again.

Eric sighed; he knew there was no arguing with Hyde when he made his mind about something. "I just don't want to see you lose everything you have built for yourself…"

"Forman I have a great job…I'm proud of what I've done. But it doesn't really mean anything to me anymore…not compared to what I lost." Hyde said feeling sad.

"I may not understand it…but I will respect it if that's what you want to do." Eric said honestly.

"Thanks Forman. I appreciate it." Hyde said.

"Hey…what are friends for?" Eric said as Hyde chuckled, "I'll call you in a few days okay? Take good care of Jackie…"

"I will." Hyde said, "Say hi to your parents for me and tell your Mom I'll call her soon."

"You better. She didn't even ask me about the trip at all for the first hour I was home. She just wanted to know if you looked like you were eating and sleeping enough." Eric said.

Hyde chuckled. "Tell her I love her."

"Aww…you do have a heart." Eric said cracking up on the other end.

"Get bent Forman." Hyde said as he slammed the phone down on the receiver again.

He couldn't help but laugh though afterwards, as much as he wanted to go home to his family…he knew his place was here with Jackie. Whatever she wanted…whatever she needed he'd be here for her. He just hoped eventually…she would want the same thing as he did.

* * *

Later that night, Jackie was washing her dishes after making dinner when she heard a knock on the door. She dried her hands as Sadie jumped up and down barking loudly, she looked through the peephole and smiled when she saw Liz and Anna on the other side.

She opened it and smiled, "Hey."

Liz held out a bag of candy, "We came as soon as we got your message…" She said with a pout, "Do you want to drown your sorrows in chocolate?"

Jackie laughed and stepped aside to let them in, "Couldn't hurt."

The three of them walked over to the couch and sat down as they began to eat the candy together. Sadie jumped up beside Jackie and let her tail wag, hoping she would share with her.

"So are you okay?" Anna asked looking Jackie up and down, "I mean I know he didn't get to actually…" She shivered at the thought and shook her head, "But did he hurt you at all?"

Jackie shrugged, "I have a few bruises on my back but they should go away soon."

Liz sighed sadly, "God I can't believe it…what a creep."

Jackie nodded and bit into a peanut butter cup, "I'm just lucky my friends were there and Hyde got into the room in time. I don't want to think about what would have happened if-"

"Don't think about it…" Anna whispered.

Jackie sighed and pulled a blanket around her, "The crazy thing is…I don't know what I'm more upset about. What happened in the club…or my talk with Steven."

"Jackie I think it's pretty obvious that you still have feelings for him…" Liz said staring at her friend with concern in her eyes, "When are you just going to admit it to him?"

"It's not that simple Liz…I would love to say that I could just be with him again. I know what he means to me…but I'm afraid it won't last. I am so grateful to have him as a friend right now that I don't want to lose him again…" She whispered.

"But how long can you play this game?" She asked, "How long can you two pretend that there isn't anything else going on between you?"

"I don't know…" Jackie smirked and shrugged, "Forever?"

"Jackie…" Liz said laughing sympathetically.

Jackie sighed again and threw down the other half of her uneaten peanut butter cup, "Yesterday when he dropped me off…all I wanted to do was pull him close and tell him to never leave me again. I wanted to kiss him…and make him erase the feeling of that man's hands on me…"

"It's probably a good thing that you didn't do that…" Anna said, "As much as you care about him it could have complicated things even more. You may have broken down emotionally after everything that had happened…"

Jackie was quiet for a moment; "I haven't been with another man since Steven…"

"That's a long time…" Liz whispered, surprised by her statement.

"I know that I could never feel what I feel with him if I slept with someone else…it wouldn't be right…" She said wiping her tears away.

"I think that tells you what you have to do…" Anna said to her with a smile.

Jackie sighed again and rested her head on the back of the couch, "I know…but I'm scared."

"So then take a little bit more time…let everything calm down a little and then you can face your future." Liz suggested.

Jackie smiled and pulled her blanket around her tighter again, "Do you think that two people can be happy? Truly be happy…after going through so much?"

"If they love each other as much as the two of you do…" Anna whispered with a smile, "Then yes…"

"I just want to be happy again…" She said with tears in her eyes.

Anna smiled wider and leaned forward to squeeze her hand, "You will be happy again Jackie. You will be…"

Jackie smiled at her two friends and let her emotions wash over her. She felt so exhausted by everything but she knew the time was coming when she was going to have to finally face everything she had been hiding from for months.

She just hoped she was going to be ready for when it came…

But more importantly she hoped that Hyde was ready to be the man she so desperately needed him to be…

* * *

**So...the way I have this all planned out in my head...there aren't really that many more chapters before it's over. So if you want me to continue so you see how it all ends, send in a review and I'll make sure to update as soon as I can. Thanks! Hope you enjoyed :) **


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